Thirty-eight civil society organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have issued an urgent appeal to the international community to intervene and prevent a 'catastrophe' in el-Obeid, a city in central Sudan.
In an open letter released on Friday (July 4), the organizations demanded that the UN Human Rights Council hold an emergency debate, dispatch a fact-finding mission, promote accountability for violations in Sudan, and end impunity for perpetrators and those backing them.
According to the letter, el-Obeid — a strategic hub in the South Kordofan region — has been under siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for months and has endured an 'almost total blockade' for 18 months. The groups warned that the city risks 'a ground attack by the RSF and its allied forces at any moment.'
The UN had previously expressed concern that an assault on el-Obeid could echo the tragedy that occurred in October 2025 in el-Fasher, where the RSF was accused of crimes that a UN mission described as 'bearing the hallmarks of genocide.'
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 12 million, according to UN figures.
The open letter also called on the Human Rights Council to 'clearly condemn external actors supporting the warring parties, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE).' Sudan has repeatedly accused the UAE of supplying weapons to the RSF — allegations Abu Dhabi denies, despite multiple international reports pointing to its involvement.
The letter stressed that external backers of the RSF, the Sudanese army, or other factions 'must also be condemned and held accountable for the violations they cause or facilitate, some of which constitute crimes under international law.'
