Conflict Related Sexual Violence Explained

The Invisible War Crime

Sudan is currently experiencing a devastating civil war between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

One of the worst aspects of this war is the inhumane toll it is taking on Sudanese women, men and children. 

In 2025, Amnesty released a report titled They Raped All of Us. It contains 7 interviews documenting the survivor’s experiences with rape and gang rape. These accounts include one survivor being kidnapped and raped daily for thirty days; to another being raped in front of loved ones; and husbands hearing their wives being assaulted in nearby rooms - with no ability to help them.

Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) is horrific.

This term covers a range of sexually-violent/aggressive acts that take place in conflict and post conflict situations including:

• Rape  

• Sexual slavery

• Forced Prostitution

• Forced Pregnancy

• Forced Sterilization

• Genital Mutilation 

• Sexualized Torture

• Forced Nudity

• Forced Witnessing of Rape

• Forced Witnessing of Sexual Violence 

This is not an exhaustive list of CRSV acts.

Currently, these are the legally recognized subcategories of CRSV under international law that can cause an accused person to be charged and convicted.

Now that we understand what CRSV is  let’s take a look at its role in war.