In the heart of Sudan’s ongoing turmoil, a mother tenderly cradled her infant son, Yasser, his smile and sparkling eyes offering no hint of the harrowing trauma she survived. Nesma, a 26-year-old university graduate, endured a brutal assault at the hands of paramilitary fighters in Khartoum two years prior, a memory still vivid. "I remember their faces," Nesma recounted to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Yasser is one of many children born to rape survivors amid the brutal conflict between Sudan’s army and the Rapid…

Understanding the Sexual Violence Crisis in Sudan The conflict in Sudan has erupted into widespread abuse, particularly against women, characterized by systematic sexual violence and impunity. Women are disproportionately affected, facing horrendous crimes amidst the ongoing war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict began in April 2023, claiming tens of thousands of lives and displacing millions. Sulaima Ishaq al-Khalifa reports systematic sexual violence used as a weapon of war.…

Voices from the Shadows: Women Endure the Unthinkable in Sudan’s Darfur Region In the dusty, war-torn city of el-Fasher, Sudan, desperation permeates the air as the human cost of conflict continues to rise. With the recent capture of the city by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the region of Darfur finds itself plunged deeper into a humanitarian nightmare. Women fleeing the violence recount stories that chill the heart, tales of terror and resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. A City Under Siege The…

Sixty years after the Évian Accords ended Algeria's bloody war of independence, a look back at the role of women at this pivotal time. Professor Zahia Smail Salhi tells us how female combatants, informants and special agents played a key role in the National…

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it was investigating allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of people who identified themselves as UN agency workers fighting Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO said its management and staff were "furious" over recent reports of sexual abuse by people who said they worked for the UN health agency in the Ebola campaign in the DRC. "The actions allegedly taken by individuals who identify themselves as working for the WHO are unacceptable and will be…