Dozens of Nations Warn of Massacre Threat in Sudan's El-Obeid
Al Jazeera Staff
An international coalition at the UN Human Rights Council warns that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) may soon attack el-Obeid, endangering some 500,000 civilians. The statement, presented by Norway, cites drone strikes killing at least 50 civilians and calls for maximum pressure on both sides to prevent atrocities.
An international coalition of nations has warned at the UN Human Rights Council that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) may soon escalate attacks on the central city of el-Obeid.
The statement, presented by Norway on behalf of the Prevention of Brutality and Justice for Sudan Coalition, includes the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sierra Leone, with 21 other countries joining.
“We are extremely concerned about the risk of atrocities and targeted killings in Sudan,” the statement said Thursday (May 15), noting that some 500,000 civilians “are at risk of becoming victims of large-scale massacres.”
El-Obeid is one of Sudan's largest cities and the capital of North Kordofan state, where some of the fiercest fighting has occurred in recent months of a war that has displaced nearly 14 million people, triggering ethnic bloodshed and spreading famine and disease.
The coalition called on all nations to apply maximum pressure on both the RSF and their rivals, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), to prevent atrocities and protect civilians. It also stressed the need for unimpeded humanitarian access.
“Ten consecutive days of drone strikes have killed at least 50 civilians across El Obeid and North Kordofan, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure,” the statement added.
“Widespread credible reports of ethnically targeted violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, are deplorable,” the statement said.
After more than three years of civil war in Sudan, the army controls central and eastern regions, while the RSF has consolidated control over Darfur in the west. The two sides are fighting for the vast Kordofan region between them, which is vital for agriculture.
In October 2025, the RSF seized el-Fasher, a major city in the Darfur region. The famine-stricken city, once home to about one million people, had been under siege for 18 months before the final RSF assault began on October 25, 2025.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also issued a stern warning that an imminent attack risks violating international law, noting that people living in el-Obeid have already endured a siege for more than 18 months.
“We have seen this scenario before. We cannot allow the repetition of the preventable tragedies we documented in al-Fasher and Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur last year,” Turk said in a statement Thursday.
“Let this be a clear warning to the world of an impending human rights catastrophe and a deteriorating humanitarian situation. Influential nations have a duty to act immediately to stop this madness,” he added.
The United States and human rights groups have accused the RSF of committing genocide against people in West Darfur during the conflict, amid an escalation of long-running violence rooted in land disputes.
The RSF has denied responsibility for ethnic killings and said those responsible for abuses will be brought to justice.
“The people of Sudan need peace – urgent measures must be taken to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities, including sexual violence, as well as civilian displacement and suffering,” Turk urged.
