A harrowing new report from UNICEF has revealed the widespread use of sexual violence against children in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, painting a devastating picture of a conflict that has turned some of the most vulnerable members of society into deliberate targets. The report, published this week, confirms 221 verified cases of child rape—including 16 children under the age of five, with four as young as one year old—as well as 77 additional cases of sexual assault, primarily attempted rape.
The survivors include both girls and boys, with two-thirds of the victims identified as girls. These abuses, documented across nine Sudanese states, reflect not isolated incidents but a pattern of systematic violence used as a tactic of war by both sides in the conflict.
“Tip of the Iceberg”
UNICEF warns that the verified cases likely represent only a small fraction of the true scale of abuse. Many incidents go unreported due to survivors’ fear of retaliation, social stigma, and family rejection, creating an environment where perpetrators operate with impunity.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell condemned the atrocities, saying:
“The idea that babies and toddlers are being subjected to such horrific abuse should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action.”
The organization has called on Sudanese authorities and armed factions to protect civilians, especially children, and safeguard humanitarian workers assisting survivors.
A Violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
These egregious acts do more than violate international humanitarian law—they strike at the very core of Africa’s human rights framework, particularly the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Under the African Charter:
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Article 4 affirms every individual’s right to life and integrity, which is trampled when children are targeted for rape and assault.
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Article 5 prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment.
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Article 18(3) mandates states to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and children and ensure protection of the rights of the child as stipulated in international declarations and conventions.
The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, to which Sudan is a party, explicitly forbids:
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Sexual abuse and exploitation (Article 27),
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Torture, inhuman and degrading treatment (Article 16), and
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Participation of children in armed conflict (Article 22).
Sudan’s failure to prevent or prosecute these crimes represents a grave dereliction of its obligations under African and international law.
A Continent-Wide Moral Imperative
The scale and nature of these crimes demand more than condemnation—they require continental accountability. As the African Union and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child examine these events, the need to enforce existing legal instruments becomes critical.
The Sudanese civil war has created one of the most severe child protection crises in recent African history. If left unaddressed, the normalization of such atrocities risks eroding the very foundations of the human rights system African nations have pledged to uphold.
