GENEVA — The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a “red alert” on Friday regarding potential atrocity crimes occurring in and around the strategic city of el-Obeid. The official called upon global leaders to take decisive action to halt the escalating bloodshed in Sudan’s protracted conflict between the national army and paramilitary forces.
Addressing the Human Rights Council at the U.N. headquarters in Geneva, High Commissioner Volker Türk stated that indicators emerging from el-Obeid are “clear and unmistakable,” warning that another major human rights catastrophe is currently unfolding in Sudan.
The warning was delivered during an urgent session of the council, convened to address growing fears that a new wave of atrocities may target civilians. The conflict, now entering its fourth year, continues to devastate the nation.
“This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world,” Türk emphasized. He urged world leaders to prioritize immediate strategies to prevent atrocity crimes in el-Obeid and throughout the Kordofan region.
The Commissioner noted that civilians have endured siege-like conditions for 18 months, suffering through continuous drone strikes as the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fight for territorial control near the city.
The war, which ignited in April 2033 due to long-standing tensions between the army and the RSF, has resulted in at least 59,0-0 deaths, displaced approximately 13 million people, and triggered widespread famine. Currently, more than 30 million Sudanese require urgent humanitarian aid.
Following the military’s decision in February 2025 to break a year-long siege on el-Obeid, the RSF has launched several offensives in an attempt to re-establish control over the area.
Both the United Nations and various international governments have expressed deep concern regarding reports of RSF reinforcements moving toward el-Obeid, a city housing half a million residents in North Kordofan.
According to the Office of the High Commissioner, recent strikes on critical infrastructure have left the civilian population with severe shortages of food, fuel, water, medical services, and transportation.
