Sudan’s Rapid Support Force personnel raped over 70 protesters at the sit-in incident, report says

Over 100 people were killed and as many as 700 injured in the attack last Monday on a sit-in and clashes afterwards, as paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces spread through the city to quell sporadic unrest, The Guardian has reported.

According to the report, details of rapes by the RSF have emerged in recent days despite restrictions on communications in Sudan, but the extent of the sexual violence has remained unknown.

“One doctor with access to data compiled by the central committee of doctors, a pro-reform group, said hospitals in Khartoum had recorded more than 70 cases of rape in the attack and its immediate aftermath.” The report says.

It adds that a doctor at the Royal Care hospital said it had treated eight victims of rape – five women and three men.

“At a second hospital in the south of Khartoum, a medical source said it had received two rape cases, including one who was attacked by four RSF paramilitaries.” The report says.

Several witnesses have also described similar cases on social media.

According to the sources, a lot of victims have not sought medical treatment, either because of fear of reprisals, insecurity in the city, or because care has been limited.

Meanwhile, human rights activists and experts have described the reports of sexual violence as reliable.

The crisis in Sudan continued on Monday with the second day of a general strike aimed at relaunching an opposition movement battered by a brutal crackdown, and forcing the country’s military leaders to resign.

Shops were closed and streets were empty throughout Khartoum and in the neighbouring city of Omdurman, though there was visibly more traffic in the streets than on Sunday, when the strike began.

Four protesters were killed in sporadic violence in the two cities over the weekend.