Turk: A new human rights disaster is unfolding in the city of Al-Abyad

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said a new human rights catastrophe is unfolding in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, warning of a repeat of the widespread atrocities that occurred in the Zamzam camp for displaced people and the city of El Fasher in North Darfur last year.

Turk explained, before an urgent debate held by the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the situation in and around El Obeid, that civilians had suffered siege-like conditions for 18 months and had been subjected to continuous drone strikes, amid the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces to control the areas surrounding the city.

The emergency session was convened at the request of Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, which warned that some 500,000 civilians were at risk of widespread abuses that could amount to mass atrocities.

Turk said his office documented 15 drone attacks on El Obeid and surrounding areas between June 6 and 28, which killed at least 45 civilians and injured 41 others, suggesting the actual numbers were likely higher.

He noted that the attacks, across Kordofan, targeted markets, schools, fuel stations, water infrastructure and civilian vehicles, exacerbating shortages of fuel, water, food and health care and disrupting the movement and communication of the population.

Turk confirmed that his office had documented patterns of summary executions, kidnappings, torture, ill-treatment, sexual violence and looting along civilian displacement routes in Kordofan.

He stressed that what is happening in El Obeid represents a "red alert" that must reach world leaders, calling for pressure on all parties, especially the Rapid Support Forces, to stop the attack on the city, end the targeting of civilians and vital infrastructure, and stop the flow of weapons.

He also called for ensuring accountability for the crimes committed, and securing the safe and voluntary exit of civilians from El Obeid.

For her part, Mona Rishmawi, a member of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in Sudan, said that fear is gripping the residents of El Obeid, amid the spread of videos and statements attributed to the Rapid Support Forces showing military buildups around the city and preparations to enter it.

Rashmawi called on the Rapid Support Forces to stop attacks on civilians and infrastructure, and urged the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies to avoid stationing troops and equipment in or near civilian areas.

In the humanitarian context, the International Organization for Migration said that the number of newly displaced people in Kordofan has increased by 65% ​​since the escalation began in October 2025, from more than 132,000 people in February 2026 to more than 219,000 by the end of June.

The head of the organization's mission in Sudan, Mohamed Rifaat, said that civilians are still the main targets in the conflict, noting that the residents of El Obeid lack water and electricity and want to leave but cannot.