On the morning of October 25, as Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces stormed the town of Bara in North Kordofan state, Sadiq Ahmed thought about his two daughters and what would happen to them if he couldn’t protect them.

RSF fighters began raiding homes, looking for loot, as well as women and girls, said Sadiq.

According to the United Nations and Human Rights Watch, the RSF routinely wields rape as a weapon of war and kidnaps women and girls to use as sex slaves.

When fighters came to Sadiq’s house, he gave them everything he owned: money, phones and gold. But he refused to give up his daughters or nieces.

“It was a red line for me. I was prepared to die to [protect my daughters],” Sadiq, 59, told Al Jazeera.

Sadiq was able to convince the RSF fighters – who are fighting the regular army

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