ACJPS: Sudan war fuels surge in ‘forced prostitution’

A new report by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) highlights the surge in forced prostitution in South Darfur, fuelled by the economic collapse resulting from Sudan’s ongoing war. Published yesterday, the report details how women and girls in Nyala, South Darfur’s capital, are being forced into sex work in exchange for food, money, and basic necessities, as war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) devastates the region.

The ACJPS report documents the traumatic conditions faced by women and girls, many of whom have been pushed into prostitution as a last resort. In Nyala, abandoned homes have been turned into brothels under RSF protection, where women and girls are held and exploited. In some cases, these places double as detention centres, with abducted women kept until a ransom for their exchange is paid.

Forced prostitution is classified as a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, with the UN Convention of 1949 penalising its procurement, enticement, and brothel maintenance.

Despite these international legal frameworks, the report highlights the absence of explicit protections within Sudan’s legal system, further leaving victims without recourse.

The report provides several testimonials, including one from a victim who described the abuse: “Sometimes we are beaten, bullied, and called filthy names after they refuse to pay us.” She added that women are forced into these degrading situations with little chance of escape, often facing violence as well as exploitation.

Since the start of the war in April, Nyala has been torn apart and transformed into a ghost town, forcing thousands of residents to flee. With much of the city now under RSF control, reports indicate that pimps and brokers exploit the situation, recruiting victims via social media and markets.

“Selling tea no longer covers the cost of food. Many girls are forced into prostitution, and some have ended up pregnant,” one vendor told ACJPS. The economic collapse, lack of humanitarian aid, and rising poverty have left many with no other option.

The societal stigma attached to those caught up in forced prostitution further isolates survivors, compounding the trauma they face. ACJPS is calling for urgent intervention to protect women and girls from further abuse and exploitation, urging both warring parties to halt the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. 

ACJPS demands the immediate opening of humanitarian aid routes, blocked by conflict, to provide critical assistance to those most vulnerable.

Read the full report here: FORCED PROSTITUTION: THE EFFECTS OF THE SUDAN WAR ON WOMEN AND GIRLS