Global fears are growing over a looming humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan’s El-Obeid, the capital city of North Kordofan state.
Following a months-long siege, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are bracing for a large-scale offensive against El-Obeid, raising alarm over the repetition of the El-Fasher scenario, which fell to the paramilitary group in October 2025.
De-escalation Calls
The UN has urged the RSF to halt their planned attack against El-Obeid and pursue diplomacy and dialogue to end the conflict. In a phone call with the RSF leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), on Friday, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, urged for de-escalation in El-Obeid.
Haavisto emphasized the need for avoiding any actions that may exacerbate the dire humanitarian situation and put civilian lives at risk. Moreover, he called on the parties to the conflict to commit to genuine dialogue to end the war.
“We must not allow the horrors of El-Fasher to be repeated in El-Obeid,” he said.
Haavisto’s call echoes that of the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, who expressed alarm over reports of the RSF’s “substantial military reinforcements around El-Obeid which may indicate an imminent ground offensive on the city.”
The UN chief urged all parties for restraint and to take all necessary measures to protect civilians,” according to a statement carried by his spokesperson on Thursday.
El-Obeid in the RSF Crosshairs
Over the past two weeks, El-Obeid has endured dozens of drone attacks and artillery shelling which have killed civilians and cut off access to basic services and supply routes.
On Friday, the RSF launched a fresh wave of drone strikes on the city, targeting fuel and power infrastructure, including the main power grid, plunging the city and its surroundings into darkness, according to Sudan Tribune.
The strategic city of El-Obeid had been under the RSF siege since the early months of the war before the Sudanese army broke it in February 2025. Since then, the army turned the city into a forward military operations center for the Kordofan and Darfur regions.
El-Obeid is located approximately 411 km from Khartoum, serving as the main link between Darfur, Kordofan and central Sudan. It is also home to the headquarters of the 5th Infantry Division. Its strategic location has made it a key hub for trade, transport and the movement of goods.
In recent days, the RSF mobilized a vast contingent of fighters from the Darfur and West Kordofan regions, reinforced by armor and heavy combat assets, to strike at the army’s defensive perimeters encircling El-Obeid, in preparation for a large-scale ground offensive to capture the city.
El-Fasher’s Specter
The RSF’s imminent offensive against El-Obeid raises concerns over the repetition of atrocities unleashed by the paramilitary group in El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur state.
Seizing control of the city in late October 2025, the RSF launched a wave of atrocities, including summary executions, sexual violence and mass detention, which the UN said they showed “hallmarks of genocide” against non-Arab communities and amounted to “war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.”
In light of this, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Thursday of the catastrophic impact of the RSF’s imminent offensive against El-Obeid.
“We have seen this playbook before. We know where it led then, and cannot now allow a repeat of the preventable atrocities we documented in El-Fasher and Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur last year. Civilians are at grave risk in Kordofan, particularly in El-Obeid, in the absence of action to halt the imminent offensive and further military escalation,” Türk said.
Foreign Influence
The UN officials called upon countries with influence on the RSF to press them to halt the imminent attack and prevent a looming humanitarian catastrophe.
Haavisto noted that he is engaging partners “with influence” over the conflict parties to “encourage their commitment to genuine dialogue and convey as a matter of urgency that an attack on El-Obeid must be avoided.”
Moreover, the UN human rights chief issued a stark warning over the situation in El-Obeid. “The States with influence have the duty to exercise it now to stop this madness in its tracks,” Türk noted.
The war in Sudan broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, triggering what the UN called “the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.”
So far, the conflict has killed at least 59,000 people and left around 11,000 missing. It has also displaced 14 million people in Sudan and neighboring countries.
As the crisis deepens, the role of outside actors remains a critical flashpoint. Since the outbreak of the conflict, the Sudanese government and rights groups have repeatedly accused the UAE of supplying the RSF with weapons, mercenaries and political backing – allegations that Abu Dhabi consistently denies.
“Far too many times in this conflict, clear warnings have failed to trigger concerted action by the international community,” the UN chief said in his statement.
“The Secretary-General urges all those with influence over the parties to exert it to prevent further bloodshed. We must not allow the horrors of El-Fasher to be repeated in El-Obeid,” the statement added.
