2.8.2. Treatment by the authorities and societal attitudes

In the book ‘Queer Lawfare in Africa’, the authors noted that homophobia was ‘widespread’ in Sudan.605 While there were no recent reports on the treatment of persons with diverse sexual orientation, a 2015 publication noted that Sudanese persons with diverse sexual orientation faced discrimination, police harassment, arbitrary arrest, physical and psychological violence, treatments amounting to torture in detention, sexual violence including rape, as well as murder.606

Regarding transgender persons, the December 2025 Dutch report, citing a confidential source, noted that there were intersectional factors to consider when it comes to accessing gender transitioning in Sudan. An anecdote was reported of one wealthy/privileged trans person who managed to access gender transition in Sudan, while a person without such privileges could not access gender affirming care.607 In an interview transcript published in 2024 in a Sudanese Queer blog, Loud and Queer Sudan, a Sudanese trans woman stated that she managed to obtain legal gender recognition within Sudan. However, no additional information was found among the sources consulted by EUAA within the time constraints of this report on when the events took place or details on the process.608

When a resolution on ‘Combating discrimination, violence and harmful practices against intersex persons’ was adopted on 4 April 2024 by the UN HRC, Sudan chose to abstain from the vote.609 Information on the treatment of diverse sex characteristics in Sudan was only found in medical journals. A 2014 article titled ‘Pattern of developmental sex disorders in a tertiary hospital in Sudan’ studied 40 patients admitted for ‘developmental sex disorders’ at the Soba University Hospital. The study noted that patients were provided with hormonal treatment, and that surgeries were performed, including on children.610 Intersex cases were managed by multidisciplinary teams, that included medical professionals, as well as lawyers and religious leaders.611 The study noted that while intersex cases were not uncommon in Sudan, management was difficult as specialised services were only available in Khartoum at the time. It also pointed at sociocultural norms resulting in challenges for intersex individuals, once the naming ceremony done and the sex had been assigned.612 Two other medical studies of 2015 and 2024 noted that intersex persons and their families in Sudan can experience social stigma and exclusion, psychological pressure and difficulties to access medical facilities.613 The risk of FGM was high for intersex children in Sudan, with specific risks for children assigned at birth as female and undergoing FGM, resulting in penis amputation.614