El-Obeid, June 23 (Darfur24)
Authorities in North Kordofan State said on Monday that two displaced people were killed and 17 others injured, including nine children, after a drone strike hit a shelter camp in El Obeid, as international concern grows over a possible Rapid Support Forces (RSF) offensive against the city.
The attack comes amid a recent escalation in drone strikes on El Obeid, which have targeted critical infrastructure, including power facilities and fuel depots, contributing to worsening water shortages and humanitarian conditions. At the same time, the RSF has continued to mass forces around the city, raising fears of a major military assault.
In a statement, North Kordofan government spokesperson Jamma Al-Mahdi Jamma condemned what he described as a drone attack carried out by the RSF on the Unified Shelter Camp in El Obeid.
He said the strike killed two displaced civilians and wounded 17 others, including nine children.
“Targeting shelter camps and civilian facilities is a crime condemned by all international norms and conventions,” the statement said, calling on humanitarian organizations and international bodies to denounce the attack and strengthen efforts to protect civilians.
However, local sources told Darfur24 that the casualties were caused by shrapnel after a drone targeted a military vehicle carrying a Katyusha rocket launcher near the camp.
According to the sources, the strike hit the combat vehicle close to the shelter site, causing fragments to scatter across the camp and surrounding neighborhoods, triggering panic among displaced families and residents.
The incident comes as the United States renewed warnings over the deteriorating security situation around El Obeid.
In a statement, US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Washington is deeply concerned by reports that RSF and allied forces are concentrating troops around the city in a manner that significantly increases the risk of violence against civilians.
“There are worrying signs that mass atrocities may be imminent, which would further exacerbate the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan,” Pigott said.
He urged the RSF and allied groups to refrain from any actions that could endanger civilians, obstruct humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities.
Pigott also called on all parties to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and ensure safe passage for those seeking refuge.
“This war has imposed an unbearable cost on the Sudanese people,” he said. “Civilians have borne the brunt of the violence and suffered immensely from the devastation caused by this conflict.”
The US reiterated that there is no military solution to the war and called on the warring parties to pursue a negotiated settlement without preconditions, aimed at ending the conflict and addressing the suffering of civilians.
Washington said it continues to work with international partners and Sudanese stakeholders to secure a humanitarian truce, facilitate unhindered aid access, and support a path toward civilian-led governance and lasting peace.
The warning follows a statement by the UN Security Council on Saturday expressing concern over reports of a major RSF military buildup around El Obeid and calling for any attack on the city to be halted.
Last week, the Sudan Atrocities Prevention and Justice Coalition, alongside 21 countries, also urged the RSF not to launch an assault on El Obeid, warning that an escalation could place approximately 500,000 civilians at risk, including more than 100,000 internally displaced people.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has likewise called for civilians wishing to leave the city to be allowed safe passage, while emphasizing the protection of those who remain and the need to ensure unrestricted humanitarian access.