Another human rights catastrophe is unfolding around the besieged Sudanese city of al-Obeid, the United Nations human rights chief warned on Friday, raising alarm over mounting atrocities and the risk of a worsening humanitarian disaster.
Al-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, has become the latest flashpoint in Sudan's civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict, which began more than three years ago, has displaced millions of people across the country.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said conditions around the city resembled those seen in other areas devastated by the conflict.
“The signs from al-Obeid are clear and unmistakable: Another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan, this time in the capital of the strategic state of North Kordofan,” Turk said.
According to Türk, residents of al-Obeid have endured siege-like conditions for the past 18 months, facing severe shortages of clean water while also coming under repeated drone attacks.
His office has documented what he described as a pattern of serious human rights violations along routes used by people fleeing violence across the Kordofan region.
These include summary executions, abductions, torture and sexual violence, he said.
Türk warned the international community against allowing a repeat of the atrocities witnessed in al-Fashir in neighbouring North Darfur, where thousands were reportedly killed following the city's capture by RSF forces last year.
Friday's council session was requested by Britain, whose diplomats have repeatedly expressed concern about reports of RSF forces massing around al-Obeid.
The city has become a refuge for people displaced by fighting in other parts of Sudan and now hosts about 500,000 residents, including more than 83,000 internally displaced people.
Britain's Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, urged governments to act before the situation deteriorates further.
“The international community must rise to the moment,” Cooper said, warning that al-Obeid must not become “the next senseless tragedy”.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said a full-scale assault on the city could trigger another major wave of displacement at a time when humanitarian agencies are already overstretched.
According to the IOM, more than 219,000 people have been newly displaced across the wider Kordofan region since February, with the number rising by nearly two-thirds in recent months.
As the conflict has evolved, drone attacks have become an increasingly important part of military operations.
The UN human rights office said at least 45 civilians were killed and 41 injured in 15 drone strikes carried out in al-Obeid and surrounding areas between 6 June and 28 June.
Humanitarian organisations and rights groups say the growing use of drones has heightened risks for civilians, particularly in densely populated urban areas.
The RSF has repeatedly said its operations around al-Obeid are military in nature and that it does not intentionally target civilians. The group has also stated that individuals responsible for abuses will be held accountable.
The force did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest allegations.
Sudan's conflict, which erupted between the army and the RSF, has drawn widespread international condemnation and multiple allegations of war crimes.
Human rights organisations have accused both sides of committing abuses during the conflict. The RSF, however, has faced particular scrutiny over reported atrocities and ethnic violence, especially in its traditional stronghold of Darfur.
In al-Fashir, the UN human rights office reported that at least 6,000 people were killed in just three days after RSF forces captured the city during a major offensive last October.
UN investigators concluded that RSF fighters and allied militias committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including mass killings, summary executions, torture and sexual violence.
A draft resolution under consideration at the UN Human Rights Council strongly condemns escalating violence in and around al-Obeid and expresses concern about the risk of large-scale atrocities.
Meanwhile, Sudan's foreign minister in the army-aligned government, Mohieldin Salim Ahmed Ibrahim, urged the international community to take concrete steps to halt the flow of advanced weapons and military equipment to the RSF.
With violence intensifying and humanitarian needs growing, UN officials warned that, without swift international action, al-Obeid could become the latest city in Sudan to suffer a devastating escalation of the country's long-running war.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reaffirmed his support for Saudi Arabia following Houthi attacks, as U.S. President Donald Trump consid...
Pakistan and Oman called for restraint and diplomacy on Wednesday as they discussed the U.S.-Iran conflict, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and thre...
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at ...
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s Houthis have claimed responsibility for the recent drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Dhahran and Riyadh and at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, vowing to carry out more attacks in the coming days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Thousands of young Georgians leave the country each year in search of better economic opportunities, with many moving west. As questions grow over Georgia’s European path, AnewZ spoke to people who have emigrated about what it would take for them to return.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
Ukraine's soldiers have had their access to Starlink satellite internet restricted. Kyiv's troops use the terminals, made by Elon Musk's SpaceX, to pilot drones. A source in Ukraine's Defence Ministry said the restrictions would make it harder for Kyiv's army to down Russian drones.
A 62-year-old man died on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car into the sea on the Greek island of Rhodes, as torrential rain flooded roads, stranded vehicles and disrupted transport across the island.
A failure by the U.S. and Iran to reach an agreement on a UN-backed fertiliser shipping plan for the Strait of Hormuz within weeks could trigger a food security crisis in parts of Asia and Africa, a senior UN official has warned.
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The Vatican says the tumour was detected during a routine health check, but its stage and whether it has spread remain unknown.
Greek students braved heavy rain to pitch tents outside parliament in Athens on Tuesday, demanding affordable housing and more education funding as rising living costs put university places beyond the reach of some students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment