Infants as young as one raped in Sudan, UNICEF says

Children under five, including babies, are among victims of sexual violence in the war between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to findings shared on Tuesday by U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

The U.N. agency cited a database compiled by Sudan-based groups helping survivors of sexual violence which showed that of 221 cases involving children registered since last year, 16 were under five years old, including four one-year-olds. About one-third of victims were male, it said.

The database includes cases from across the country, but aid workers and rights groups think it represents just a fraction of the cases because stigma, fear of reprisals and lack of access to medical facilities limit reporting.

Some of the survivors cited by UNICEF say they fell pregnant as a result of the assaults, resulting in rejection by relatives and additional hardships.

One woman who was held in captivity with other women and girls was quoted saying, "After nine at night, someone opens the door, carrying a whip, selects one of the girls, and takes her to another room. I could hear the little girl crying and screaming."

"They only release these girls at dawn, and they return almost unconscious."

UNICEF did not say who was responsible for the child rapes, calling on both sides to respect international law. Neither the RSF nor the army immediately responded to requests for comment.

"Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement sent to journalists.

War erupted in April 2023 from a power struggle between the army and the RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering huge displacement and hunger crises.

A U.N. fact-finding mission has described levels of sexual abuse as "staggering". The majority of known cases were perpetrated by the RSF and its allies, the mission said, noting it was more difficult to report in army-controlled territories.

Reuters has reported on women who said they were gang raped in ethnically targeted attacks by the RSF and allied Arab militiamen.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said last week that over half of reported rape cases in Sudan were gang rape, "an indication that sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war".

The RSF has previously said it would investigate allegations and bring perpetrators to justice.