The UN Security Council has warned of the imminent risk of mass atrocities in Sudan’s El Obeid, demanding that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) immediately halt its assault on the city.
In a statement on June 20, Council members expressed grave concern over the RSF’s advance on El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, amid reports of a significant build-up of RSF fighters and allied forces around the city.
The warning comes as Sudan’s war continues to devastate the country, with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF locked in conflict since mid-April 2023.
The Security Council said escalating fighting in the Kordofan states risks worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis and called on all parties to immediately stop the violence.
RSF assault on El Obeid
Council members also expressed concern over reports of RSF drone strikes in El Obeid and the wider increase in drone attacks across Sudan.
El Obeid has endured siege-like conditions for more than 18 months, leaving civilians increasingly vulnerable to hunger, displacement and violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also raised the alarm last week after reports of intensified drone strikes and artillery shelling around the city.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a possible “imminent ground offensive” and urged those with influence over the warring sides to intervene before further bloodshed.
“Far too many times in this conflict, clear warnings have failed to trigger concerted action by the international community,” his spokesperson said.
“The Secretary-General urges all those with influence over the parties to exert it to prevent further bloodshed. We must not allow the horrors of El Fasher to be repeated in El Obeid.”
Sudan’s worsening humanitarian crisis
Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the RSF, a paramilitary force accused of widespread atrocities, ethnic violence and attacks on civilians.
The conflict has since become one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies.
According to the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, the war has displaced more than 13 million people inside Sudan and pushed millions more towards famine, with aid access severely restricted across large parts of the country.
The Security Council reiterated that all parties must protect civilians, comply with international humanitarian law and uphold the Jeddah Declaration, signed in Saudi Arabia in May 2023.
The agreement requires the warring sides to protect civilians and facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid.
The Council urged all UN member states to avoid external interference that could fuel the war and destabilise Sudan further.
The statement comes amid growing scrutiny of foreign backing for the RSF, including accusations that the UAE has helped sustain the paramilitary force despite its role in mass atrocities and the destruction of Sudanese society.
The Council reaffirmed its commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and rejected any parallel governing authority in areas controlled by the RSF.
For civilians in El Obeid, the fear is that another city could now face the same devastation seen in El Fasher, where the RSF’s campaign left communities besieged, displaced and exposed to mass violence.