Name: Kaka (pseudonym used for protection)
Age: 20 years
Place of Origin. Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan State
Current Location. Not disclosed for safety reasons
Kaka is a 20-year-old woman from the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan State. Before the war, she was living in Khartoum with her grandmother. Her parents were in the village, and her grandmother was her main source of care and protection.
“I was living with my grandmother. Life was hard, but I was working and taking care of her. We never imagined the war would reach Khartoum one day.”
On 15 April 2023, armed conflict broke out in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Heavy fighting spread quickly across residential areas. Civilians were trapped, homes were destroyed, and fear became constant.
“When the shooting started, we stayed inside for days. We had no food. We could not sleep. I was always holding my grandmother’s hand because I thought one of us would die.”
Fearing for their lives, Kaka and her grandmother fled Khartoum and sought refuge in Jaili town, north of the capital. At the time, Jaili was under SAF control and was perceived as a safer area.
As the conflict continue to expanded northward, RSF forces captured Al Jaili town from SAF. During the takeover, Kaka and several other women and girls were taken captives by RSF fighters. They were detained and held in captivity for sexual use.
While in captivity, Kaka said we were subjected to repeated sexual violence by RSF fighters. She states that she and other women were treated as sexual slaves, with no ability to refuse or escape.
“They took us and made us their wives. We had to cook for them, wash their clothes, and they slept with us every day. If you resisted, they beat you. Not a single day passed without fear.”
As a result of the sexual violence, Kaka became pregnant. She later gave birth to a baby boy while still under RSF captivity.
“When I realized I was pregnant, I felt confused and terrified. I felt completely hopeless, like I could not survive what was happening to me. But when my son was born, I loved him. He became the only light I had in that place.”
In 2024, SAF forces recaptured Al Jaili town from the RSF. Some women who had been held in captivity were rescued, including Kaka. She believed she was finally safe. Instead, she was subjected to further violence.
According to Kaka’s testimony, SAF soldiers confronted her after seeing the child. They told her that the baby must be killed because they believed the child “belonged to the RSF.” They ordered her to kill her own baby or said they would do it themselves.
“When SAF soldiers came, they told me to kill my baby. They said he belonged to RSF, and I should not let him live. I couldn’t do it. I held him tight. I begged them, ‘Please, don’t hurt him. He is my child. He did nothing.’”
Kaka refused to comply. She held her baby tightly and attempted to protect him. The soldiers then assaulted her. She reports being kicked repeatedly while holding the child. One of her ribs was broken during the assault. She fell to the ground, unable to stand or move.
“They kicked me while I was holding my baby. My ribs broke. I fell to the ground. I couldn’t move crying for my son. I was trying to protect him, but I was helpless. My grandmother was shouting, begging them to stop, kill me instead. Finally, they left. I was lying there, broken, but my baby was still alive.”
Kaka survived, and her baby survived. But she continues to live with physical injuries, trauma, and constant fear for her and her child’s safety.
“Even when the guns stop, the war does not end. It lives in our bodies, in our children, in the way people look at us. We are punished for what was done to us. I am alive, but the pain is still with me every day.”
This testimony reflects not only Kaka’s experience, but a wider pattern of abuse.
Across Sudan, many women are raped by armed actors from different sides of the conflict. Some become pregnant as a result of violence. Instead of receiving protection and care, they are subjected to stigma, threats, and further punishment because of their children. Motherhood becomes another site of violence.
“The war took my body. It took my dignity. Even now, I am always afraid.”
Call to Action
Kaka’s testimony is not an isolated case.
It reflects a pattern of grave violations committed against women and girls in Sudan during the ongoing conflict.
At Trauma Rescue Aid (TRAID), we work with survivors of war, sexual violence, and forced displacement. Every day, we document stories like Kaka’s. What we see is consistent and alarming: women are attacked, violated, and then punished again for surviving. Their bodies become battlefields. Their children become targets.
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