From Propaganda to Prey: Women's Complex Roles in Darfur's Tribal War
Women were among the primary victims when El Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur, fell to the Rapid Support Forces after a brutal 18-month siege in late October.
Within days, the once-bustling streets emptied. Hundreds were killed, homes looted, and women and girls subjected to horrific abuse and sexual violence. Tens of thousands fled to camps or makeshift shelters, leaving behind everything they knew. Aid groups warned of a humanitarian crisis unfolding in real time.
The assault on El Fasher was only the latest chapter in Darfur’s long history of war – a cycle of displacement, racial violence, and survival that has defined the region for two decades. But largely lost in the reporting of the latest tragedy is a more complex story about the role women play on both sides of the conflict.
