“They kept yelling: ‘Today we f***.’ The girl screamed. Then everyone went silent.”

The chilling testimony from Fateh, a Sudanese protester, is hard to listen to.

He is describing 3 June when feared paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, which has been accused by rights groups of committing war crimes in the past, brutally cleared a pro-democracy sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum.

Fateh and a group of male protesters were hiding beside aluminium store rooms on the top of a building, just 200 metres west of the encampment, after security forces opened fire.

Protesters had refused to leave until there was a swift transition to civilian rule, after successfully toppling the president, Omar al-Bashir.

And so in early hours of 3 June, security forces, armed with machine guns and whips, had stormed the camp. By the end the day more than 120 people would be dead, according to the Sudan Doctors Committee. The official death toll is just over 60.

But in the metal rooms near where Fateh was hiding, a different kind of horror was unfolding.

Protesters and medics have told The Independent that aside from the killing, mass rape was committed that day. Dozens of women and men were reportedly sexually assaulted. Children were also believed to be among the victims.

They say an independent investigation into what happened needs to be launched immediately.

“The girl and the two guys with her were trying to escape from the meal room. But the RSF forced them back to the room and then let the guys leave,” Fateh says, his voice beginning to falter.

One would rape her, then leave and put on the clothes, then his comrade would enter, and so on Fateh

“I can't tell how many raped the girl. One would rape her, then leave and put on the clothes, then his comrade would enter, and so on. They all wore Rapid Support Forces uniforms.”

The fate of the woman is unknown.

This week, the ruling Sudanese military council finally admitted that it had ordered a partial clearing of an area near the sit-in, but maintained it went wrong and that some members of the security forces had committed “painful and outrageous” violations during the onslaught.

“We feel sorry for what happened,” said Gen Shams Eddin Kabashi, a spokesman for the council, adding that several officers were now in jail.

“We will show no leniency and we will hold accountable anyone, regardless of their rank, if proven to have committed violations.”

Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Show all 20 1 /20 Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Modi Emmanuel "Modi Emmanuel crawled mile upon mile to escape the war in his country, South Sudan. When his mother had the strength, she would lift him and carry him the best she could across the rocks and hard ground they were journeying on. I met Modi in a South Sudanese refugee camp in Uganda. He crawled on his hands and knees towards me and I outstretched my hand. Before he shook it, Modi wiped the dust from his hand. I cry when I think of him doing this. This beautiful young man, who has suffered so much, was so conscious of the dust on his hand, dust that was only there because he had no choice but to crawl because of his disability, that he would wipe it before shaking my hand." - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Modi Emmanuel 'He had crawled as he'd become separated from his wheelchair. A colleague of mine brought it over to him and helped him into the seat. This wheelchair allows Modi to get around the camp, where tens of thousands of refugees live, every one of them forced from their homes in South Sudan by violence. Modi has the wheelchair thanks to the support of BMS World Mission and Hope Health Action They're working in refugee camps in Uganda, distributing wheelchairs to children and adults with disabilities. You can help this life-changing work today by supporting BMS' South Sudan's conflict survivors appeal.' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Annet and children 'Annet gave birth on the roadside whilst fleeing the civil war in her country, South Sudan. Her mother helped her with the delivery. No-one else. Just Annet and her mother, behind some bushes as they tried to escape a conflict that's created the largest refugee crisis in Africa. "When this was happening, I had a lot of thought about my country," Annet told my colleague at BMS World Mission "I was thinking that if the war had not broken out, I would not have gone through these challenges... giving birth on the way... not being able to feed my baby. These are the things that came to my mind." I met Annet in a refugee camp in Uganda. Just over 815,000 South Sudanese refugees are currently in Uganda. The number of people displaced by the civil war in South Sudan is 2.3 million' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'I don't have much, but I'm overwhelmed with joy' - Dube 'Dube taught me a lot about generosity and kindness. I met him in a field in Uganda, where he was growing maize so that he could feed his family. He's a long, long way from his home in South Sudan. He fled with his three young children to Uganda because of the civil war that's created the largest refugee crisis in Africa. He made it to safety with no means to support his family. He'd lost everything he'd owned. A friend allowed him to use a field to grow crops, whilst the seeds he planted were given through the help of BMS World Mission and Hope Health Action. When we asked to buy some of his corn, Dube refused to take our money, even though he needed it and could have bought much needed items with it. He instead gave us the corn as a way of saying thank you for the seeds he'd been given in the past.' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Joice and her twins Sarah and Sharon 'I met Joice in Bidi Bidi, the world's largest refugee camp. There are around 225,000 South Sudanese refugees in the camp, each one of them forced from their nation by civil war. Joice survived the journey to the refugee camp in Uganda. Many others don't. Joice didn't know she had pre-eclampsia. It was only detected because a volunteer health worker had access to a highly accurate blood pressure monitor. Joice was monitored afterwards and had a c-section at eight months. Had it not been for BMS World Mission supporters, and the work of partner Hope Health Action, that blood pressure monitor would not have been in the camp. I've seen the difference that monitor can make. And you can see it now in that Sarah and Sharon have a mother to cradle them' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'War forced these young men to flee their homes in South Sudan. I met them early in the morning in a refugee camp in Uganda. They were making bricks for a school so that some of the tens of thousands of children who have also been forced to flee from their homes by civil war can resume their education. I've never witnessed teamwork or determination like I did that morning. Every participant had their role. Every one of them putting everything they had into building a school. Into helping children who have suffered unimaginable grief and fear' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'War forced these young men to flee their homes in South Sudan. I met them early in the morning in a refugee camp in Uganda. They were making bricks for a school so that some of the tens of thousands of children who have also been forced to flee from their homes by civil war can resume their education. I've never witnessed teamwork or determination like I did that morning. Every participant had their role. Every one of them putting everything they had into building a school. Into helping children who have suffered unimaginable grief and fear' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda A girl holding a younger child at the camp in Uganda BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda 'Children would tease me because I'm not able to move' - Nancy 'Nancy can't walk as her right foot is twisted. She's only 14 and a refugee because of the civil war in her country, South Sudan. I met her in a refugee camp in Uganda. She didn't use to have the wheelchair you can see. It's only thanks to Hope Health Action, supported by partner BMS World Mission, that she has it. Other South Sudanese children and adults with disabilities are being helped too. But so much more can be done. Children like Nancy crawled away from a war zone because they didn't have a wheelchair, or someone to carry them. They arrive in Uganda bereaved, exhausted and facing extreme loneliness and fear. They are part of the largest refugee crisis in Africa. I've been to the world's largest refugee camp - Bidi Bidi - and seen child after child needing help. Please consider helping them today.' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda "We lived in fear in South Sudan, so we came here for rescue, to look for a peaceful place' - Agnes 'Agnes [L], arrived in Uganda with not a single possession having fled a civil war that's created the largest refugee crisis in Africa. "There was no shelter when we arrived.... rain washes you," she told us. "We were rescued and given some tarpaulins, and we built shelter from there, and started gaining back what we have lost from South Sudan." Agnes has the use of just one eye. We met her in a refugee camp in Uganda, where she is helping people with disabilities. “I feel God has left one of my eyes to be used for someone who is not seeing. So that’s why I became interested to help those ones who cannot help themselves completely, and I became a volunteer."' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Young children sit outside a tent at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Susan 'Susan is unable to walk and crawled away from the civil war in her country, South Sudan. She has leprosy and didn't make it to a refugee camp in Uganda. Emergency food rations provided through BMS World Mission and Hope Health Action have kept her alive. We crossed a dry river bed to reach Susan. Her hut is just a mile or so from the South Sudan border. When it rains, the hut leaks. Susan is fragile and lonely, and rarely gets visitors. Pastoral activists found her and have been supporting her, providing her with a wheelchair and food. Others need finding and supporting too' - David Dunham BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children gathered in a church in the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda A young boy alone at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children at the UNHCR food centre BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children of the refugee camp in Uganda BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children in a group at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children gathered in a church in the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda A young girl at the camp BMS World Mission / David Dunham Refugee camps for South Sudanese in Uganda Children of the refugee camp in Uganda BMS World Mission / David Dunham

Two days later RSF’s feared commander, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemetti”), defended his force at a rally in a village on the outskirts of Khartoum.

Hemetti is the deputy chief of the ruling military council despite being accused of perpetuating crimes against humanity in the war-ravaged region of Darfur.

“Our image as Rapid Support Forces has been distorted,” he told the cheering crowds.

The military have said they will carry out their own investigation about what happened. They have rejected requests from actors like Tibor Nagy, a US envoy for Africa, who last week urged an “independent and credible” probe.

Hemetti said he would not talk about what happened until the security forces release their own findings.

And this is what protesters fear right now – that this will all be swept under the carpet plunging Sudan back into the very dictatorship that the protesters had fought against.

“The killings are ongoing, the transitional military council are lying, their hands are full of blood. There is no way they could deny what happened,” says Sara, whose name has been changed and who was also at the protest when it was cleared.

She says they need to be held accountable for the murders and assaults but feels that the international community is supporting the Sudanese army and so nothing would truly come to light.

“We are resisting the regional forces, like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, which are deeply involved in Sudanese politics,” she says. “This is a regional war we are fighting here – we are still keeping it peaceful despite the violence.”