The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) may imminently besiege el-Obeid, risking a repeat of the atrocities seen in el-Fasher. A coalition of countries urged the RSF to cease its assault and adhere to international humanitarian law.
The potential siege of el-Obeid by the RSF raises fears of widespread atrocities and a humanitarian crisis, echoing past events in el-Fasher and highlighting the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The United Nations has issued an urgent warning that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) could imminently lay siege to el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, risking large-scale atrocities.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that the situation could lead to a repeat of the "preventable atrocities" documented in el-Fasher, which fell to the RSF in October 2025 after an eighteen-month siege. Turk stressed that people across Kordofan face grave danger in the absence of action to halt the offensive.
The warning follows a significant buildup of RSF troops and intensified artillery shelling and drone strikes in el-Obeid. Reports indicate that consistent drone strikes targeting fuel stations and trucks have triggered an acute fuel crisis, paralyzing local transit and disrupting water treatment facilities. Residents are attempting to flee towards the neighbouring White Nile State.
A coalition of countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, and the United Kingdom, presented a joint statement to the UN Human Rights Council. They demanded that the RSF cease its assault on el-Obeid and called on all parties to de-escalate and adhere to international humanitarian law, urging foreign states to apply maximum pressure on the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and their allies to prevent atrocities.