The United Nations Security Council has raised alarms regarding the deployment of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops near El Obeid, Sudan, following the earlier tragedy in El Fasher. In a Saturday announcement, the council cautioned that the city, which serves as the North Kordofan state capital, faces an immediate threat of widespread violence and demanded that the RSF cease its military offensive.
Ongoing battles between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, which began in April 2023, remain a source of significant concern. The Security Council has called for a cessation of hostilities, stressing the need for both factions to adhere to international humanitarian law and the commitments established in the Jeddah Declaration. This agreement, signed in May 2023, requires both groups to safeguard civilians and ensure the safe passage of aid.
Security Council members highlighted reports of rising drone strikes in El Obeid and throughout the country, insisting that perpetrators of such violations must face accountability. Furthermore, the UN urged international actors to avoid interfering in ways that might escalate the regional instability, citing Resolution 2791. Simultaneously, the European Union voiced its apprehension, declaring that El Obeid must be spared the fate of El Fasher. The EU demanded an end to attacks on civilians, ethnic violence, and the destruction of infrastructure, while calling for safe passage for civilians and unhindered humanitarian access.
