Northern Barh El Ghazal

Some South Sudanese women and girls who escaped the fighting in Sudan have recounted their ordeal on their way to Northern Bahr El Gazal state this weekend.

According to the women Eye Radio withheld their names, they were tortured and raped by gunmen in Al-fula town of Western Kordofan state.

The returnees say their truck had experienced a mechanical fault between Al Obeid and Al Debeibat towns, forcing them to spend a night in the Alfula area.

While they were asleep, unknown armed men emerged and separated them from their male counterparts before raping them.

Among the victims were 11 and 15-year-old girls, and a breastfeeding mother.

Some of them narrated to Eye Radio What Happened…

“After we left the city of Al-Abyad and headed towards the city of Al-Debeibat,” one of the survivors said.

“Some men caught up with us and told us that we should not continue to travel and that we should stop because the security situation is not stable and there was gunfire.” evening.”

“At eight o’clock in the evening, he expelled the men and young men who were with us and left us under the car,” she said. “He came and assaulted us by beating and raping us.”

“The number of women who were raped ranged from two to nine women,” another survivor said.

“This incident happened to us three days ago. They did not take into account that I am a breastfeeding mother.”

“They were about eight other women. They were shy. They did not want to talk about rape,” she said.

“I only spoke because I was brave and did not accept what happened to us. Some asked us not to talk about this incident and that it is something shameful.”

“We did not expect what happened to us here,” she said. “I am still a young girl. I have reached the age of 15. I have not been married yet.”

“I was raped by force at gunpoint. This is unacceptable.”

“I am 11 years old. I was humiliated, beaten, and raped. Is this a reasonable act? I wish they would consider us as their sisters,” another survivor said.

This is not the first-time returnees from Sudan have complained of insecurity along the way to the South Sudan border.

In recent weeks, some women told Eye Radio they were attacked, looted and rapped as they headed to the Bahr el Ghazal region.

South Sudan continues to witness the influx of returnees from Sudan with conflict in the neighbouring country seeming unabated.