The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Friday that another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan, this time in the city of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, urging the international community to take action.
Addressing a special session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on the situation in the region, Türk said, “The signs emerging from El Obeid are clear and unmistakable: a new human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan, this time in the strategically important capital of North Kordofan State.”
The emergency session was convened at the request of the United Kingdom, whose envoy had previously warned of the risk of large-scale atrocities following reports that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups were massing their forces around El Obeid, raising fears of a further escalation of the conflict.
Türk said civilians in El Obeid have been living under near-siege conditions for the past 18 months, with shortages of clean water reaching critical levels. The city has also been subjected to continued drone attacks while fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF continues over control of the surrounding areas.
He added that the UN Human Rights Office has documented the deaths of at least 45 civilians and injuries to 41 others as a result of 15 drone attacks targeting El Obeid and nearby areas between 6 and 28 June.
