Subsequent to the commencement of hostilities in April 2023, compelled unions have garnered reduced coverage in both the media and the legal sphere compared to other violations of human rights perpetrated by the conflicting factions in Sudan. Human Rights Watch has recorded extensive sexual violence by the RSF in regions under its authority, such as coerced matrimony, employed as a instrument of subjugation, fear, and organized eradication of noncombatants. As a result, individuals who are accountable for these actions could be liable for committing crimes against humanity.
Although all sexual offenses are terrible, coerced unions are a particularly intricate and abhorrent violation that frequently involves numerous forms of abuse. Individuals are compelled into both intimate and non-intimate activities, such as assault, sexual exploitation, involuntary conception, and household labor.
Optimum authority
As per a document from the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network, RSF combatants instigate coerced unions in territories they encroach upon to assert an increased level of domination over the area. Seemingly, the militia utilizes arranged marriages to assimilate recently conquered societies and strengthen their control.
Arranged marriage customs have involved the kidnapping of young women or their transaction for payment, frequently given to families with limited capacity to resist. Moreover, these offenses have included widespread sexual assault disguised as alleged matrimony.
An anonymous human rights attorney from Sudan recounted the account of a young girl from Al-Halawin village in Gezira State who was coerced into marrying a member of the RSF. The scenario deteriorated further when another combatant asserted a claim in the union, stating that as a contributor to the bride price, she was considered as communal possession. When the family lodged a complaint with the commanding officer, they were informed that he was unable to interfere. Subsequently, a third combatant asserted the identical allegation, using the identical justification.
Tahani Abbas, an advocate for women's rights and defender of human rights, observed the recording of 11 occurrences of coerced matrimony among adolescent females in the locality of Elmielg in Gezira State subsequent to its occupation by the RSF. Most of these unions are promptly organized; families are informed to “ready” their daughters, usually within a day or two. This allows minimal opportunity for evasion, as per another attorney recording instances of coerced matrimony.
The identical attorney referenced an instance of coerced matrimony in the Khalawda locality of Gezira State as an illustration. The young woman's father unexpectedly extended an invitation to the residents of the village for her wedding, only for them to discover that the "bridegroom" was actually one of the RSF combatants who had previously assaulted the village. In spite of the girl's strong objections to the marriage, her father insisted that she marry the fighter. Although masquerading as a conventional wedding in terms of festivities and traditions, the attorney contended that its main objective was to safeguard the girl and her family. This is precisely the reason for Mehdi's agreement to the marriage of his 12-year-old daughter in June 2023, mere seven days after escaping Khartoum for a village in Gezira State. Mehdi elaborated that he consented to the marriage due to urgency, and mentioned he was safeguarding his daughter from sexual aggression in the event of heightened conflict in central and northern Sudan. He elucidated that this custom had grown more prevalent among individuals uprooted by the conflict, especially as males in rural regions and small communities frequently strive to wed minors.
Forced matrimony in times of peace as well
Thorough information on forced matrimony is scarce owing to various obstacles such as online shutdowns and disturbances that impede the dissemination of data. Moreover, the removal of advocates for human rights, the limitations placed upon them, and the diminishing area for civil society have posed challenges for documentation. Consequently, numerous instances of sexual abuse associated with coerced marriages are uncovered solely when survivors experience severe health issues requiring medical care. As per healthcare professionals at the Saudi Hospital in el-Fasher, the sole women's and obstetrics hospital in North Darfur, this is a frequent occurrence.