Zeinab was fleeing the conflict in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, in search of safety when she found herself pinned to the ground, a rifle pointed at her chest, while being raped by a paramilitary man. For her, at that moment, death was almost certain.
“I was sure we were going to die,” she told the AFP news agency.
Dozens of women have reported similar attacks — in their homes, on the roadside and elsewhere — since the conflict in Sudan began in April between the army and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) paramilitary group.
Last month, Zeinab reported that the women were leaving Khartoum when their minibus was stopped at a paramilitary checkpoint. Terrified, they were taken to a warehouse where a man “who appeared to be the commander” ordered Zeinab to lie down on the floor.
“One man held me with one hand while another raped me. When it was over, they exchanged it,” she told AFP. “They wanted to get my sister. I begged them on my knees to let her go,” she said.
The women managed to flee to Madani, 200 km away from Khartoum, where they reported the attack to the police and went to a hospital. “We are not the first people this has happened to, nor are we the last,” said Zeinab, who has taken refuge in another country.
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