Published On 7/3/2026
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Last update: 14:43 (Mecca time)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned today, Friday, of a “disaster” that is about to occur in the city of El-Obeid, one of the largest cities in Sudan that is besieged by the Rapid Support Forces.
This came in a speech he delivered during the opening of an urgent discussion session on Sudan at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, based on a British request with German, Irish, Dutch and Norwegian support.
Turk said that a number of residents are selling their property in the city of El Obeid to flee it, expressing his concern that the people remaining in the city are at risk of arbitrary arrest in light of the escalation of hate speech.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented 15 drone attacks on the city of El Obeid between June 26 and 28, which resulted in the killing of at least 45 civilians and the injury of 41 others.
Earlier, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warned of atrocities in the city of El Obeid, with the Rapid Support Forces and their allies gathering around the city, which could lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Today, Friday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to end the violence and fighting in Sudan before the start of the urgent session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to discuss the situation in the city of El Obeid.
Cooper condemned the bombing of the city in recent weeks with dozens of drones, which resulted in the killing of a number of civilians, saying: “We have witnessed this deadly pattern before. The international community cannot ignore it.”
The city of El-Obeid, located in the Kordofan region, has been subjected to a siege imposed by the Rapid Support Forces for months, which has been waging a war against the army since April 2023.
White siege
In a related context, British Ambassador for Human Rights Eleanor Sanders described the situation in the city of El Obeid as resembling a “siege” with Rapid Support Forces gathering around the city.
Sanders said that London intends to submit a proposal to the 47-member council today, Friday, without going into details.
The Council does not have any legal powers, but it can vote to initiate investigations that are sometimes used as evidence in war crimes cases before national or international courts.
On the other hand, the International Organization for Migration announced yesterday, Thursday, the displacement of more than 6,000 people from the city of Kulbus and 3 of its villages in West Darfur State, western Sudan, within one day, in light of threats to the city’s residents from members of the Rapid Support Forces.
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is exacerbated by the war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, which left tens of thousands dead and about 13 million displaced and refugees.
Out of 18 states in Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces control the five states of Darfur in the west of the country, with the exception of parts of North Darfur state that are still under the control of the army, which imposes its influence on most of the other 13 states, including the capital, Khartoum.
