Sudan Conflict Sees RSF Forces Encircling el-Obeid as US Warns of Mass Atrocities
The United States and United Nations have raised alarms over reports that Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are encircling el-Obeid in North Kordofan, Sudan, warning of an imminent risk of mass atrocities against 500,000 civilians if the paramilitary group launches an assault on the city. In the Sudan conflict, these developments add to an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
International Alarm Over RSF Buildup Around el-Obeid
The United States has expressed concern over reports that the Rapid Support Forces and its allies are encircling el-Obeid, warning of possible mass atrocities if the paramilitary group assaults the city. [1] The US State Department said the RSF was massing forces around el-Obeid, stating that further escalation could have a devastating impact on civilians and reiterating calls for a negotiated end to the conflict. [1] There are alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent, further worsening Sudan’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis, according to the press release. [1] The RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering. [1] The United States calls on the belligerents to facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access, uphold their responsibilities to protect civilians, and take immediate steps to prevent further atrocities. [1] The UN Security Council expressed its grave concern regarding reports of the deployment of significant military reinforcements by the RSF around the city and spoke of an imminent risk of mass atrocities in el-Obeid. [3] It also called on all parties to cease hostilities and urged UN member states to refrain from any interference that could fuel the violence. [3] The European Union warned that el-Obeid must not be allowed to suffer the same fate as the North Darfur capital el-Fasher. [5] The bloc called on the RSF to immediately halt its offensive against el-Obeid. [5] The Coalition for Preventing Atrocity Crimes and Achieving Justice in Sudan, together with 21 other countries, expressed grave concern over the urgent risks of atrocities and deliberate killings in Sudan. [5] The statement was endorsed by coalition members Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom, as well as Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden. [5]
Escalating Drone Strikes and Infrastructure Damage
US and UN warn of mass atrocities as RSF forces encircle el-Obeid in Sudan. — Source: ocha
The UN Human Rights Council stated that 50 civilians have been killed in drone strikes over 10 days in el-Obeid and North Kordofan. [1] The Sudan Doctors Network has been warning in recent weeks of an increase in drone attacks against schools, hospitals, health centres, displacement camps, and a power plant in el-Obeid, plunging the town into darkness and disrupting the water pumping system. [3] Between Thursday and yesterday, drone attacks reportedly targeted multiple locations, including a power substation and a fuel station. [2] According to the local medical group Sudan Doctors Network, the attacks forced the closure of several medical facilities in el-Obeid, including dialysis centres and emergency departments. [2] Several water stations were also shut down. [2] Elsewhere in North Kordofan, local sources reported that yesterday, two bridges located south of the city of Um Ruwaba, along the road connecting Um Ruwaba to Abu Jubeiha, South Kordofan were targeted by drones. [2] Multiple drone attacks were also reported yesterday in the city of Ar Rahad, southeast of el-Obeid, along a key highway. [2] Drone strikes have also been reported in other parts of Sudan in recent days, including North Darfur and White Nile states, causing civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. [2] Yesterday, a strike on a fuel station in Al Zariba Market, in the city of Kosti in White Nile State, reportedly killed at least one civilian and injured 15 others. [2] In North Darfur, drone strikes reported between 18 and 19 June in and around the locality of Al Malha reportedly struck a commercial vehicle, resulting in multiple civilian casualties. [2] The Security Council also expressed concern over reports of drone strikes carried out by the RSF in el-Obeid and the increasing use of drones by parties to the conflict across Sudan. [5] According to the statement, 10 consecutive days of drone strikes have killed at least 50 civilians in el-Obeid and North Kordofan and caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure. [5]
Humanitarian and Health Crisis in Kordofan
Meanwhile, nearby in West Kordofan, the cholera outbreak continues to worsen due to limited humanitarian access and insecurity, ongoing displacement, and inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation. [2] As of 16 June, 700 cases and 60 associated deaths have been recorded, including 100 cases and 10 deaths since the start of the month. [2] The UN and its partners have supported the provision of cholera treatments, supplies and awareness-raising campaigns in addition to establishing cholera treatment centres in the state. [2] El Obeid is not just a large city, it is a nerve center for commercial and humanitarian activities, Elias Abu Ata, advisor for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Sudan, told RFI. [3] The region is considered a buffer zone between the territory captured by RSF in Darfur and the areas controlled by al-Burhan's army in eastern Sudan. [3]
Context of the Ongoing Sudan Conflict
The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced around 13 million and left more than 30 million in need of humanitarian assistance. [3] The war began in April 2023 after tensions between the RSF and the regular army run by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. [3] The UN has said that an assault on el-Obeid could result in parallels to the October 2025 attack on el-Fasher, which UN officials say bore hallmarks of genocide. [1] The UN fears a repeat of the scenario experienced in el-Fasher where, last October, the RSF launched an offensive against this major city in Darfur after a 500-day siege, committing massacres and mass rapes, atrocities which presented the distinctive signs of genocide, the UN fact-finding mission found. [3] The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto last week called on Hemedti to spare el-Obeid. [3] Prior to that, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had also warned of the imminent risk of an attack. [3] We must not allow the horrors of el-Fasher to be repeated in el-Obeid, Guterres warned. [3]
UN warns of imminent risk of mass atrocities as RSF encircles el-Obeid in Sudan's North Kordofan. — Source: rfi
Calls for Compliance with International Law
The UN reiterates the Secretary-General's calls which urge all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access. [2] Members urged all parties to cease hostilities immediately. [5] They reiterated the need for all sides to protect civilians, comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, and honour commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration. [5] Members called for all violations and abuses to be investigated and for those responsible to be held accountable. [5] The council stressed the need for all parties to facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access and to allow civilians safe passage in accordance with international law. [5] It also urged all UN member states to refrain from external interference that could fuel conflict and instability, to support efforts towards a lasting peace, to comply with international law, and to implement relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2791 (2025). [5] The council reaffirmed its commitment to Sudan's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, and reiterated its rejection of any parallel governing authority in areas under RSF control. [5] The European Union also called on the RSF to immediately cease the massacres of civilians, violence against ethnic groups, and attacks on civilian infrastructure. [3] The statement called on the RSF to immediately cease its offensive against el-Obeid and warned of an imminent escalation on the ground that could expose around 500,000 civilians to the risk of mass atrocities, including more than 100,000 internally displaced people. [5] The joint statement urged all parties to de-escalate immediately and fully comply with international humanitarian law. [5] It also stressed the need to allow civilians to leave freely and safely and to ensure humanitarian agencies have unrestricted access to those in need, backed by credible security guarantees. [5] The signatories further called on all states to exert maximum pressure on the RSF, the SAF and their allies to prevent atrocities and protect civilians. [5] Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that a looming assault on el-Obeid carries a serious risk of international crimes and threatens to deepen the catastrophic impact of the conflict on civilians. [5] States with influence have a responsibility to use it now, he said, to stop this madness before it is too late. [5]
What to watch next
The UN Security Council and other international bodies continue to monitor reports of RSF troop movements and drone activity around el-Obeid while pressing for immediate de-escalation and unhindered humanitarian access.
