Key facts
- Aid workers describe escalating drone attacks on El Obeid, Sudan, with recent strikes being the most violent.
- Drone attacks have targeted schools, fuel stations, hospitals, and power stations, causing civilian casualties and infrastructure damage.
- The UN reports at least 45 people killed and 41 injured in drone strikes in and around El Obeid between June 6 and June 28.
- The UN high commissioner for human rights warned of an unfolding human rights catastrophe in El Obeid.
- Reports indicate damage to civilian infrastructure necessary for sustaining life, consistent with intentional bombardment.
- The number of drone strikes in the El Obeid area reached 27 in the past month, the highest recorded since the conflict began in April 2023.
Aid workers are describing a dire and worsening situation in El Obeid, Sudan, as the city endures relentless drone strikes. Fatima, an aid volunteer whose name has been changed for safety, reported that recent drone attacks over the weekend were the most violent yet, hitting schools and fuel stations and killing more than 20 people, including students. She noted that seeing 40 to 45 drones during an attack has become the norm in recent months.
El Obeid, a city of half a million people, is a critical battleground in the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UN and other agencies have raised concerns about potential atrocities, with the RSF's actions in other cities like El Fasher serving as a grim precedent. The city, situated between RSF-controlled western Darfur and army-controlled eastern regions, has faced repeated drone strikes targeting its infrastructure.
According to the UN human rights office, at least 45 people were killed and 41 injured in 15 drone strikes in and around El Obeid between June 6 and June 28. Amnesty International reported that the RSF has committed ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in its campaign to capture El Fasher, with a UN fact-finding mission suggesting the RSF's seizure of that city showed "hallmarks of genocide" against non-Arab communities.
Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, addressed delegates in Geneva, stating that "The signs from El Obeid are clear and unmistakable: another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan." He issued a "red alert" urging global leaders to act to prevent atrocity crimes.
El Obeid hosts an SAF infantry division and an airbase, and approximately 100,000 refugees displaced by the conflict. Experts have observed significant RSF troop concentrations around the city, signaling a potential ground offensive. A report by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab found damage to electricity generation, fuel storage, and the main market consistent with intentional bombardment of civilian infrastructure.
Nohad Eltayeb from the Acled conflict monitoring group recorded 27 drone strikes around El Obeid last month, the highest monthly total since the conflict began in 2023. Fatima described living in constant fear due to attacks on essential services, including the city's main power station, which caused widespread blackouts. Drones have also hit groups gathering to use Starlink internet when telecommunications networks are down. The price of goods has increased as merchants report their shipments are targeted or looted en route to El Obeid.
Ahlam, another humanitarian worker, stated that nearly every essential service and piece of critical infrastructure has been hit in the past two weeks. While some residents have considered leaving, increased transportation costs due to attacks on fuel stations make it difficult. Will Davies of Avaaz described the situation as "extremely dire" but noted the absence of ethnic dynamics seen in El Fasher and insufficient RSF forces for a major ground offensive. Mohamed Badawi of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies called for a ceasefire and safe corridors for evacuation.