As the one-year anniversary of the conflict in Sudan approaches on April 15, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield highlighted the devastating impact the war has had on Sudanese women and girls.
Speaking at a public event hosted by the Alliance for Peacebuilding, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield recounted the horrific accounts she has heard from Sudanese women, including girls as young as 14 being abducted and brutally raped by the Rapid Support Forces.
“Girls have been kidnapped from the streets as they walked to school in Khartoum. They have been handcuffed to the back of trucks, and transported to Darfur,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “Sexual violence has been wielded as a weapon of war.”
The Ambassador also described meeting Sudanese refugee women in Chad who had fled the violence, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs. One young woman told her they “took away my ambition” – a statement that deeply affected Thomas-Greenfield.
However, the Ambassador emphasized that the Sudanese women are not solely victims, but have also shown remarkable courage, resilience and determination in response to the conflict. Dozens of women-led initiatives have emerged to provide aid, document abuses, and advocate for peace.
“To cast women as victims, is to tell just one half of their story,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “Over the past year, we have seen ordinary women do extraordinary things to protect their families, and to heal the country they call home.”
The Ambassador pledged the United States’ continued support for the Sudanese people, including pushing for accountability, increased humanitarian assistance, and ensuring women have a seat at the negotiating table. She praised the grassroots women leaders working towards a better future for Sudan.
