UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk conducted a rare visit to Sudan to assess the human rights impact of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. His visit focused on areas hosting internally displaced persons and communities affected by large-scale violence, particularly in Darfur and Kordofan.

The conflict has resulted in extensive destruction of infrastructure and housing, with large portions of Darfur and Kordofan heavily damaged or depopulated. Millions of civilians have been displaced internally or have crossed into neighboring states, including Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt. Displacement sites and informal settlements are reported to be overcrowded and under-resourced, with limited access to food, water, healthcare, and protection services.

During meetings with displaced civilians, Türk collected testimonies describing severe human rights violations. A significant portion of these accounts concerned sexual violence against women and girls. In one documented meeting, he spoke with nine women from in and around El-Fasher in Darfur, who reported incidents of gang rape and other forms of sexual assault occurring during attempts to flee advancing armed groups.

According to these testimonies, several women were assaulted by multiple armed men. Some reported that male relatives were separated from them, taken away, and killed. Witness accounts include reports of brothers, husbands, and sons being executed in the presence of female family members, indicating a pattern of combined sexual and lethal violence during flight and displacement.

These individual accounts are consistent with findings from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other monitoring bodies, which have documented the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence in the current conflict. Recorded patterns include rape, gang rape, abduction, and sexual slavery, with indications that women and girls from particular ethnic or perceived political groups are being specifically targeted.

Reports from Darfur indicate that some attacks appear to have both ethnic and political dimensions. Witnesses describe armed groups entering villages, looting, burning property, and committing sexual assaults, sometimes in front of family members. In multiple cases, women have reportedly been abducted and held for extended periods, during which they were subjected to repeated sexual assaults before release or escape.

Human rights organizations and UN experts assess that these incidents are not isolated but form part of a broader pattern of violence aimed at terrorizing communities, facilitating forced displacement, and exerting control over civilian populations. Sexual violence is being characterized as a deliberate tactic rather than a byproduct of the conflict.

The humanitarian environment is described as severely degraded. The breakdown of law and order, combined with the collapse or severe weakening of basic services, has increased the vulnerability of women and girls. Checkpoints, roadblocks, and shifting front lines restrict movement and access to assistance, while the presence of multiple armed actors reduces predictability and security for civilians.

Survivors of sexual violence face multiple barriers to recovery and justice. These include physical injuries, psychological trauma, social stigma, and rejection within their communities. Access to medical care, including emergency treatment for injuries, infections, and unwanted pregnancies, is limited or absent in many conflict-affected areas. Mental health and psychosocial support services are even more scarce.

In discussions with Sudanese authorities, community leaders, and civil society representatives, Türk advocated for specific measures to protect civilians and address impunity. He called on all parties to issue clear public orders prohibiting sexual violence and other abuses, and to ensure that alleged perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted in fair and credible proceedings.

However, the justice system in many parts of Sudan is currently unable to function effectively. Courts are not fully operational, police structures are fragmented, and detention facilities are controlled by competing factions. Survivors often lack safe channels to report crimes and face a high risk of reprisals, which further suppresses reporting and accountability.

International and UN mechanisms are engaged in documenting and preserving evidence of potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, including sexual violence. Human rights teams, in cooperation with local partners where feasible, are collecting testimonies, medical documentation, and other forms of evidence that may support future legal proceedings at national or international levels.

Türk has urged states and regional organizations to increase diplomatic engagement aimed at securing a ceasefire, enabling unhindered humanitarian access, and promoting negotiations toward a political settlement. He has also emphasized the need for sustained, targeted support for survivors, including funding for medical and psychosocial services, safe shelters, legal assistance, and community-based programs to reduce stigma.

Local women’s groups and community organizations are identified as key actors in delivering assistance and protection, despite operating under severe constraints. Their role is considered critical for both immediate response and longer-term recovery efforts.

Testimonies from survivors, including those who met Türk in El-Fasher and other locations, highlight three primary demands: physical safety, restoration of dignity, and formal recognition of the violations they have experienced. These accounts provide qualitative evidence of the human impact of the conflict and are being used to inform international advocacy and policy responses.

The situation in Sudan, as documented by the UN human rights apparatus and corroborated by multiple independent sources, indicates a sustained pattern of serious violations against civilians, including systematic sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, and forced displacement. The continuation of these patterns in the absence of effective protection and accountability mechanisms suggests a high risk of further escalation and long-term harm to affected communities.