UAE-backed RSF drones strike power and water facilities in Sudan's el-Obeid
Reporting based primarily on middleeasteye.net.
The UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces are besieging Sudan's el-Obeid with repeated drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, causing power blackouts, water shortages and sharp rises in food prices after more than three years of war between the RSF and Sudanese army.
Intensified RSF Siege of el-Obeid
The paramilitary RSF, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates, is besieging el-Obeid from the west, north and south. [1] The city sits at the intersection of several roads connecting the capital Khartoum to Kordofan and Darfur. [1] Almost 600,000 people are now living in el-Obeid, including more than 105,000 who have sought refuge in the city after fleeing violence and famine elsewhere. [1] In the last three weeks, the RSF has launched a wave of intense drone strikes targeting petrol stations and oil tankers. [1] The main electricity substation, water facilities, the main market and fuel depots have all been hit. [1] Civilians have been killed and injured. [1] The price of basic goods has shot up. [1] RSF fighters are present in the surrounding countryside and in the town of Barah, about 30km north of el-Obeid. [1] Until the middle of this week, RSF drones were attacking the city at a rate of two to six strikes per day. [1] They targeted vital centres and the necessities of life in the city: the army command, combat vehicles, fuel tankers, drinking water and sewage trucks. [1] Civilian homes had been hit, as well as trucks on the national road linking el-Obeid to the rest of the country. [1] Many trucks, tankers and vehicles were burned on the road because of the drones. [1]
Damage to Civilian Infrastructure
Israeli army confirms authenticity of image showing Palestinian detainee abused in Gaza. — Source: anadolu Satellite imagery analysed by Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab has shown visible damage consistent with intentional bombardment of civilian infrastructure for the sustainment of life. [1] Between 25 May and 25 June, at least eight gas stations in el-Obeid have sustained targeted damage consistent with bombardment. [1] The satellite imagery analysis has also shown that the Sudanese army has established at least 14 checkpoints and a 51-kilometre network of defensive berms and trenches around el-Obeid. [1] On 18 June, RSF drones targeted al-Abyad power substation, which serves as the primary electricity hub for el-Obeid. [1] The bombing caused significant damage and resulted in power outages across the city. [1] This blackout exacerbated existing crises, disrupting water supplies and forcing many hospitals to shut down. [1] City residents are facing severe water shortages due to the complete cessation of public water sources. [1] The city is now reliant on internal wells and water tankers transporting water from outside the city. [1] A large proportion of the city’s fuel pumps are now out of service. [1] They have also been shut down due to the constant presence of drones within the city’s airspace, following orders from military intelligence in el-Obeid. [1] Because drone attacks have targeted cargo trucks on the national highway into el-Obeid and because of the lack of fuel, the movement of goods into the city has been severely hampered. [1]
Rising Prices and Daily Hardships
The fuel shortage has led to a deterioration of the situation in the city, bringing public transportation to a standstill. [1] A four-gallon can of fuel can now cost 800,000 pounds or more. [1] Travel fares to local areas and other states have also increased and are expected to rise further as the crisis continues. [1] The price of a barrel of water has quadrupled from 5,000 to 25,000 Sudanese pounds, and a jerrycan of water now costs 3,000 pounds. [1] This water is brackish and unfit for drinking. [1] The water tankers, which used to transport potable water from sources outside the city, are no longer in operation because of the drone attacks. [1] Parents in el-Obeid are afraid to send their children to school. [1] Schools are still open, but when parents hear the bombing, they go to collect their children from school, just so they know they are safe. [1] The suffering endured by the citizens of el-Obeid due to the war is beyond comprehension. [1] Loss of life, hunger, and insecurity perfectly reflect the catastrophes caused by the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. [1] These forces continue to bombard civilians, vital and strategic centres, service facilities, and the very foundations of life, aiming to displace citizens and force them from their lands and cities. [1]
Sudanese Army Defensive Posture
The Sudanese army has established at least 14 checkpoints and a 51-kilometre network of defensive berms and trenches around el-Obeid. [1] The city is not in general afraid of attack from the Rapid Support Forces. [1] They are lying. They can’t attack the city because the army is here, and they are still strong. [1] Because of that, the RSF is bombing us by air because we don’t have air defences. [1] Regardless of the military situation, the RSF militia continues to target and kill civilians, while the government army continues to defend them. [1] At present, government control of el-Obeid is the only barrier preventing a repeat of the massacres witnessed in el-Fasher as the RSF advanced on the city. [1] We feel as though the SAF is protecting us, but we also feel like it’s not enough. [1] For a long time, we are seeing these drones that are bombing everywhere, and the army can’t do anything about it. [1] People feel disappointed about that. [1] Civilians in the city regularly ask soldiers why they can’t be protected from the bombing. [1]
International Warnings and UAE Role
International powers, including the UK and US, have issued dire warnings about the situation in North Kordofan, but have not publicly called out the role played by the UAE in supporting and supplying the RSF, which is widely accused of committing genocide across Darfur, where it has massacred tens of thousands of civilians. [1] The Emirati foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment. [1] The UAE continues to deny backing the RSF. [1] Everyone here knows that the UAE supports the RSF. [1] In October last year, the RSF captured el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, raping, killing and extorting thousands of civilians in the process. [1] For months, international governments had been warned of this possibility, but no action was taken. [1]
Parallel Crisis in Gaza After 1,000 Days
Today we mark 1,000 days of crisis in Gaza. [3] Humanitarian NGO Action For Humanity has analysed publicly available records relating to aid accessing Gaza since October 7th, finding that there have been more days with no aid entering Gaza than days when the UN minimum target for aid trucks (150 per day) was met. [3] Palestinians in Gaza still face daily attacks, extreme suffering and denial of their basic rights as the crisis passes 1,000 days. [4] Over the past 1,000 days Israeli actions have targeted the fabric of Gaza’s entire society – killing families, blocking aid, destroying infrastructure and economic production, and herding civilians into crowded ghettoes. [4] For 1,000 days we have seen unprecedented disregard for international law. [4] The Israeli army confirms the authenticity of an image showing a Palestinian detainee abused in Gaza. [2] The detainee appears blindfolded, bound with wire, lying face down with an iron rod strapped to the back. [2]
What to watch next: the UN Human Rights Council continues its urgent debate on the situation in Sudan while satellite imagery tracks further damage to infrastructure in el-Obeid and aid access records in Gaza remain below the 150-truck daily target on most days.
