Publication

This policy brief summarizes key findings from a pilot study of conflict-related sexual violence in conflicts in 20 African countries, encompassing 177 armed conflict actors – state armies, militias, and rebel groups. The study finds that, in Africa, sexual violence is mostly indiscriminate, committed only by some conflict actors, often committed by state armies, often committed in years with low levels of killing and often committed post-conflict. Many African conflicts have been marked by high levels of sexual violence. Nevertheless, there is considerable variation in the incidence of such violence across armed groups and conflicts.