Aid groups seek UN action as RSF threat grows around el-Obeid
Thirty-eight NGOs urged the UN Human Rights Council to act as Sudan’s el-Obeid faces a possible RSF ground assault.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
A coalition of 38 civil society groups is pressing the UN Human Rights Council to act quickly over fears that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces could attack el-Obeid. AFP reported that the groups warned the city is at risk of new atrocities after months of encirclement and siege-like conditions.
The appeal, released Friday in an open letter, asks the council to hold an urgent debate and take stronger steps on accountability for abuses in Sudan’s war. The groups include Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, according to AFP.
El-Obeid is a strategic city in South Kordofan. AFP reported that the RSF has surrounded it for months while fighting Sudan’s army, a conflict that began in April 2023.
The NGOs said el-Obeid has endured 18 months of conditions resembling a siege and now faces the risk of an imminent ground offensive by the RSF and allied forces. They also cited what they described as credible reports of risks of atrocity crimes and wider violations across Sudan.
Call for an urgent UN debate
The letter urges the Human Rights Council to convene an urgent debate during its current session, which AFP said is scheduled to end on July 7. If that does not happen, the groups asked for a special session on Sudan at the earliest opportunity after the session closes.
The organizations also want the council to direct an independent UN fact-finding mission to carry out an urgent inquiry into the situation. Their broader demands include advancing accountability for all violations committed in Sudan and ending impunity for perpetrators and those accused of backing or enabling them.
The appeal comes after the UN raised concerns that el-Obeid could see a repeat of abuses committed during the RSF’s October 2025 assault on el-Fasher. According to AFP, the UN said that attack bore “hallmarks of genocide.”
External backers under scrutiny
The NGOs called on countries at the Human Rights Council to condemn foreign actors supporting Sudan’s warring parties, including the United Arab Emirates. AFP reported that Sudan’s authorities have repeatedly accused the UAE of supplying weapons to the RSF.
The UAE denies those allegations. AFP reported that several international reports have pointed to Emirati involvement, while the NGO letter said other outside actors backing the RSF, Sudan’s army or other armed parties should also face condemnation and accountability for violations they have committed or enabled.
Some of those violations amount to crimes under international law, the NGOs said in the letter cited by AFP. The groups framed the requested UN action as a way to deter further abuses before any assault on el-Obeid.
Sudan’s war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 12 million, according to the UN. The fighting between the army and the RSF has also left key cities under pressure as aid groups warn of deepening humanitarian and protection risks.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.