Khartoum: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has issued a statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, drawing attention to the widespread and systematic atrocities committed by the Janjaweed militia against women and girls in various regions of Sudan. These crimes include rape, kidnapping, sexual slavery, smuggling, forced marriage, and other forms of violence and degrading treatment inflicted upon women, their families, and their communities.

According to Sudan News Agency, the MFA statement highlighted that no fewer than 500 cases of rape have been documented by official entities, specialized organizations, and human rights groups. However, it is believed that additional cases remain undocumented due to underreporting and the control of the militia over certain areas. The statement also estimated that hundreds of women and girls have been abducted and are being held as hostages, subjected to sexual enslavement or forced labor, with some being trafficked beyond
Sudan.

The statement emphasized that the militia uses rape as a weapon of war, aiming to displace communities and punish those who resist their presence. This strategy is part of a campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing, targeting specific ethnic groups by killing males and sexually assaulting females to assimilate offspring into the militia’s tribes.

The Government of Sudan, alongside UN experts, officials, and various human rights organizations, has been raising concerns about these crimes since the militia initiated its conflict against the Sudanese people and state in April of the previous year. Despite these efforts, the international response has not been commensurate with the severity of the atrocities, which are described as surpassing those committed by groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Lord’s Resistance Army.

The statement also criticized states and groups that continue to support the militia with military, financial, political, and media resources, implicating them in the ongoing crimes.
The leniency shown by these supporters is said to encourage impunity, allowing the continuation of violations against women.