RSF Militia Rapes Hundreds of Women, Documents Atrocities on Video (Ugly Pride)

Sudan’s Head of the Ant-Violence Unit Against Women, Salima Ishak, reported 554 documented rape cases, emphasizing the actual number is significantly higher. In interwiew with (Al-Hurra), she attributed the underreporting to factors like communication disruptions and victims’ fear of social stigma.
The US Treasury Department announced sanctions against Hemeidti, seven companies, and an individual affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. The department cited Hemeidti’s leadership in severe human rights violations, including widespread sexual violence and executions of civilians and unarmed combatants.
Ishak criticized the international community’s delayed recognition of militia atrocities, noting the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. While welcoming sanctions, Ishak expressed skepticism about their impact, citing a lack of accountability and perpetrators’ pride in their crimes.
“The decision to impose sanctions was long overdue, but it’s a good one. We had expected it to happen earlier, as a means of upholding women’s rights.” Despite its importance, Ishak expressed skepticism about the impact of the sanctions, telling Al Hurra: “It may not have much effect, since there’s no real fear of punishment, and instead, there’s a sense of pride in committing these crimes.” She added: “There are video and audio recordings indicating pride in violating women.”