Geneva, July 04 (Darfur24)
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on Friday of the risk of “another human rights disaster” in El Obeid, saying his office had documented 15 drone strikes on the city and surrounding areas in June that killed at least 45 civilians and injured 41 others.
Addressing an emergency debate of the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in El Obeid, Türk urged the international community to act to prevent a repeat of the atrocities committed in Zamzam camp and El Fasher in North Darfur last year.
He said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had documented 15 drone attacks between June 6 and 28, adding that civilians in El Obeid have endured siege-like conditions for the past 18 months amid fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Türk said both sides to the conflict had repeatedly used drones to strike markets, schools, fuel stations, water infrastructure and civilian vehicles across the Kordofan region.
“These attacks, along with the fuel shortage, have compounded effects, hindering civilians’ access to clean water, food, transportation and healthcare, as well as disrupting their communication with each other and with the outside world,” he said.
He warned that around 500,000 civilians could face widespread human rights violations if fighting reaches El Obeid, adding that his office has documented patterns of summary executions, abductions, torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence and looting along displacement routes across Kordofan.
Türk also said civilians remaining in El Obeid face arbitrary arrest and detention, particularly those who have fled areas controlled by the RSF and are accused of collaborating with opposing forces.
Describing the situation as a “red alert,” he called on world leaders to use their influence to press all parties—particularly the RSF—to halt attacks on El Obeid, stop strikes on civilians and critical infrastructure, curb the flow of weapons and comply with international humanitarian law.
Fear grips El Obeid residents
Mona Rishmawi, a member of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan, told the Council that fear has become pervasive among residents of El Obeid.
“Despite the difficulty of communication, we spoke with residents of the city. Fear is widespread; fear for their fate and the fate of their city,” she said.
Rishmawi said the anxiety had been heightened by videos and statements circulated on RSF-affiliated social media accounts showing military buildups around El Obeid and preparations to enter the city.
She called on the RSF to immediately stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including fuel depots, water facilities, transport routes, hospitals, markets, schools and residential neighborhoods. She also urged the Sudanese army and its allies to avoid positioning military personnel and equipment in or near civilian areas and to refrain from intimidating civilians.
George Katrougalos, Chair of the Coordination Committee of the UN Special Procedures, also warned of the rapidly deteriorating situation in El Obeid.
He said the continuing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Sudan were undermining the credibility of the international system established under the UN Charter.
“One of the most worrying aspects of this conflict is not just the scale of the violations, but also their frequency,” Katrougalos said, arguing that repeated abuses over the past three years demonstrate entrenched patterns of conduct rather than isolated incidents.
He stressed that accountability is essential to achieving justice for victims, adding that lasting peace cannot be achieved while grave violations remain unaddressed.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also warned that escalating violence has sharply increased displacement across the Kordofan region. The agency said the number of newly displaced people has risen by 65 percent since the escalation began in October 2025, increasing from more than 132,000 in February 2026 to over 219,000 by the end of June.
According to the IOM, more than 100 displacement incidents have been recorded across Kordofan in the past nine months—an average of one major displacement event every two to three days.