Siege of El Obeid in Sudan: “There is a threat of a massacre like the one in El Fasher”

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns of a dramatic escalation of violence in the Sudanese city of El Obeid in North Kordofan. “Since early June, the Rapid Support Forces have been attacking the city of El Obeid with drones almost daily. They have sealed off the city. There is a threat of a massacre like the one in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, in the fall of 2025,” explains Sarah Reinke, head of human rights work at the STP.

“It is not enough for Germany to express concern about the situation in El Obeid; the UAE must be prevented from supplying more and more lethal drones to Sudan!” demands Reinke. Since the beginning of the year, the war in Sudan has increasingly turned into a drone war. The RSF are receiving Chinese- and Serbian-made drones via the United Arab Emirates.

Up to 500,000 people, including an estimated 100,000 internally displaced persons from other war-torn parts of the country, are stranded in El Obeid. The RSF has surrounded the city on three sides and concentrated its fighters in areas to the south, west, and north of the city.

Since June 10, the RSF has intensified its attacks on El Obeid. At least 24 civilians have been killed, according to figures documented by Sudanese activist Sara Elhassan and the Sudan Doctors Network. Reports from the STP’s partner organization, the Bana Group for Peace and Development, confirm this. El Obeid is attacked by drones almost daily. On June 22, the RSF attacked the largest refugee camp in El Obeid.

“The RSF’s attacks on El Obeid follow the same pattern as those on the city of El Fasher in North Darfur and the city of Dilling in South Kordofan, which were besieged for months and then captured by the RSF. There, the RSF carried out brutal massacres against the civilian population that are classified as crimes of genocide,” Reinke emphasizes.

“If El Obeid falls, millions of people face the loss of vital aid,” warns the human rights activist. El Obeid is the most important distribution hub for aid operations throughout the greater Kordofan region and the operational headquarters of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). If the RSF were to capture El Obeid, aid supplies would be cut off not only for the population in North Kordofan but also in South and West Kordofan. Several medical facilities have already been forced to close, including a dialysis center and several water stations. A capture of El Obeid would also give the RSF contiguous control over areas stretching from Darfur through Kordofan to the Nile.

This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.