The National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms condemns the grave violations against women in El Fasher and the breach of the Maputo Agreement and the African Union Charter

The National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms expresses its strong condemnation of the systematic violence and widespread sexual assaults perpetrated against women and girls in El Fasher, Darfur. These acts constitute one of the most heinous crimes against humanity. International organizations and eyewitnesses have documented mass rape, torture, and the direct targeting of women and girls based on their gender within the context of an organized campaign of violence committed by the Rapid Support Forces and affiliated militias against unarmed civilians. The Association believes that these actions constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the obligations stipulated in the African Union Charter and the Maputo Agreement for the protection of women’s rights in Africa, which the Republic of Sudan has signed. This imposes upon Sudan a moral obligation, even before a legal one, to protect women during times of conflict. The Association affirms that what is happening in El Fasher is a direct violation of the following articles of the Maputo Agreement: Article 3, which guarantees women’s right to dignity and prohibits any degrading or inhuman treatment; and Article 4, which obligates the state to protect women from All forms of violence, including rape, torture, and sexual violence, violate Article 11, which mandates the protection of women in armed conflict and prohibits the use of their bodies as weapons of war.

The violence perpetrated against women in Darfur constitutes a war crime and a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and must not go unpunished. Therefore, the National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms demands the following:
1- An urgent and independent international investigation, under the auspices of the United Nations and the Human Rights Council, into the crimes committed against women in El Fasher.
2- The perpetrators of rape and sexual violence must be held accountable according to international standards to ensure justice and redress for the victims.
3- An immediate cessation of armed violence, the disarmament of all militias, and guarantees for the protection of women and girls from any further attacks.
4- The provision of psychological, medical, and social support to survivors of sexual violence and their access to justice. In conclusion, the National Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms affirms that the systematic violence against women and girls in El Fasher constitutes a crime against humanity, requiring urgent international action and the immediate prosecution of the perpetrators in accordance with the Rome Statute and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias bear direct legal responsibility for these crimes, and the association demands the activation of the principle of non-impunity to ensure justice and fairness for the victims. The association also calls on the United Nations and the African Union to take immediate action to protect women in Darfur and stop gender-based violence, stressing that protecting women is a moral obligation before it is a legal one.