NEW YORK CITY: More than 30 UN experts on Thursday sounded the alarm over reports of “widespread and brutal instances of rape and other forms of sexual violence” attributed to the members of the Rapid Support Forces, one of the warring factions in the ongoing conflict in Sudan, and called for an immediate end to the violence.

“The conflict has led to massive humanitarian consequences,” the experts said. “Thousands of civilians have been killed, millions have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Nearly 700,000 refugees and asylum-seekers have been forced to flee to neighboring countries.”

The experts include Reem Alsalem, the special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Felipe Gonzales Morales, the special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; and Siobhan Mullaly, the special rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

While calling on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF to cease their violations of humanitarian and human rights laws, the experts highlighted specific concerns about persistent reports of wide-ranging violations by the RSF. They include allegations of enforced disappearances, forced labor, sexual exploitation, and the abduction of women and girls.

The RSF is also said to have detained hundreds of women in degrading conditions, subjecting them to sexual assault and leaving them vulnerable to sexual slavery. The experts said that local, female defenders of human rights have been directly targeted.

“Sudanese women and girls in urban centers, as well as in Darfur, have been particularly vulnerable to violence,” the experts said. “The lives and safety of migrant and refugee women and girls, primarily from Eritrea and South Sudan, have also been seriously affected.

“It is alleged that men identified as members of the RSF are using rape and sexual violence of women and girls as tools to punish and terrorize communities. Some of the reported rapes appear to be ethnically and racially motivated.”

The ongoing fighting in the country means the ability to assist and provide support to victims of violence remains severely compromised. It is hampering access to affected individuals, communities and entire conflict-stricken regions, making it difficult for local and international organizations to provide the necessary help, including reproductive and sexual health care.

Despite the RSF’s publicly stated stance of zero tolerance for sexual and gender-based violence, the experts said that allegations of such crimes consistently identify RSF members as the perpetrators.

“The RSF must demonstrate its commitment to upholding humanitarian and human rights obligations, including preventing sexual and gender-based violence and trafficking in persons, facilitating humanitarian access and holding perpetrators accountable”, the experts added.

“Assistance and protection to victims and access to effective remedies must be provided to women and girls.”

As the conflict in Sudan enters its fifth month, the exact death toll remains uncertain due to the intense fighting and the challenges in retrieving and identifying remains. The UN estimates that more than 4,000 people have been killed, including hundreds of civilians, 28 humanitarian and health workers, and 435 children. The true number is likely to be much higher.

The regions worst affected by the fighting include Khartoum and its environs, El-Obeid in North Kordofan, and parts of the Darfur region, particularly West Darfur, where civilians have been attacked based on ethnicity.

The UN experts called for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and for the warring factions to adhere strictly to international humanitarian and human rights laws. They also urged the international community to conduct thorough investigations into any reported violations of those laws.

Special rapporteurs are independent experts who serve in individual capacities and on a voluntary basis at the UN’s Human Rights Council. They are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.