Sexual violence at Sudan protests: Women’s groups call for swift justice

Reports of rape, sexual violence and harassment by security forces during the December 19 Marches of the Millions, in Khartoum on Sunday, have prompted a chorus of condemnation. In a statement on Wednesday, Mansam, an alliance of political and civil feminist groups, condemned the violations and sexual violence that a number of women revolutionaries were subjected to during the processions on Sunday. The alliance called for “an immediate, impartial, and transparent investigation to hold accountable the perpetrators of sexual violence and harassment of Sudanese women”.

The statement holds the leaders of the military, police, and security institutions responsible for what happened. “The military and security services are still using physical violence and rape as tools to suppress the revolutionaries, which are considered crimes against humanity.”

The Women’s Council of the National Umma Party (NUP) yesterday strongly condemned the sexual assaults that occurred at the end of the processions and the systematic violence against women that have been monitored by the party’s Women’s Council since the October 25 coup.

In a statement, the council called for an immediate investigation and for the perpetrators to be brought to trial without delay. “The continuation of the coup authority in its grave violence against the peaceful processions that are systematically practiced against women to break their steadfastness, clearly confirms that the Sudanese people have no choice but to overthrow this coup and completely liquidate it.”

In a statement the party’s Women’s Council, called on all revolutionaries and the forces of revolution and change to maintain unity and consensus on a unified political vision to achieve legitimate demands.

The NUP Women’s Council confirmed their participation in the vigil planned to take place on Thursday, December 23. The statement appealed to all feminist revolutionary bodies to actively participate in rejecting violence against women.

Sudan’s National Commission for Human Rights has also called for an impartial and transparent investigation into reports that indicated violations against girls and women, especially sexual assaults during the December 19 processions, and to bring all the accused to justice as a matter of urgency. Disclosure and reporting. In this regard, it called for the activation of the witnesses and whistle-blowers protection procedures. In its statement, the Commission stressed the importance of taking measures to eliminate all forms of violence against women, including the need not to enable potential aggressors to escape punishment.