Human rights groups in Sudan say the country’s army and allied militias are recruiting women and children to fight in the ongoing conflict, a move that violates international law.
The Sudanese Human Rights Observatory released videos showing women being trained and armed under a group called the “Popular Resistance,” which operates alongside the Port Sudan-based army. According to investigators, some of the women are being sent to front-line areas despite being civilians.
One video shared online shows a woman in ordinary clothes firing a heavy weapon from the back of a military truck while a commander stands beside her. Activists say this is proof that civilian women are being pushed into combat roles.
Rights groups also reported the recruitment of children after schools were closed in several areas controlled by the army and extremist militias supporting them. These groups have been fighting with the army since the war began in April 2023.
A confidential report written by lawyers, human rights experts, and investigators has been sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The report details crimes committed by the Port Sudan army and its allied militias.
According to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency, the report documents: indiscriminate airstrikes on civilian areas blocking humanitarian aid repeated attacks on civilian populations damage to homes, infrastructure, and essential services
The report recommends that ICC prosecutors begin criminal proceedings against senior leaders in the Port Sudan authority and military.
The same report also identifies foreign support received by the Sudan army. It states that several Middle Eastern and African countries have provided intelligence, weapons, and logistical support.
Countries named include Djibouti, Eritrea, Iran, and Turkey, although investigators say other states may also be involved.
Non-state groups accused of assisting the army include:
al-Shabaab
Hamas
Houthi rebels
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard
According to investigators, these groups supplied training, fuel, and other field support inside Sudan.
Humanitarian organizations say the forced recruitment of civilians—especially women and children—violates international humanitarian law and must be stopped immediately. They urged the international community to intervene and protect civilians trapped in the war.
Sudan’s conflict, now in its third year, has displaced millions of people and worsened a growing humanitarian crisis, with food shortages, rising deaths, and widespread destruction.
