Sudan: The atrocities committed against children and women must stop

The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament strongly condemns the mass sexual violence used as a weapon of war in Sudan's nearly two-year conflict, with women and children particularly at risk, and urges the Council to adopt targeted measures and sanctions on entities and commanders responsible for serious human rights violations.

According to findings shared by UNICEF, an estimated 12.1 million people are at risk of gender-based violence and there were 221 cases of rape involving children since last year, 16 victims being under five years old.

In a urgency resolution requested by our political group, on the severe political, humanitarian and human rights crisis in Sudan, today adopted by the plenary, we call on the EU and its Member States to support the International Criminal Court’s investigation into genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, to increase humanitarian aid to Sudan and neighbouring countries and ensure funding for survivors of sexual violence.

All parties involved in this conflict must ensure safe, timely and unhindered access to humanitarian actors, including the World Food Programme, as two thirds of Sudan’s population is at risk.

MEP Hilde Vautmans (Open Vld, Belgium), Renew Europe Group’s coordinator in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, who led the negotiations on the resolution, said:

“Sexual violence shatters the very foundations of a society and reduces a country—entire generations—to ruins. For far too long, Europe has looked away from what is happening in Sudan.

When will we take responsibility and provide a clear response to the catastrophes unfolding on the African continent? Today, we make a clear statement, Europe must act and work towards a ceasefire. We urge Europe to impose sanctions on the war criminals, and to ensure that the UN arms embargo is effectively enforced and extended to the entire country. We have to protect all women and children from sexual violence. It must end here.”