Dozens of non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have issued an urgent appeal for international intervention to prevent what they describe as looming atrocities in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid. In an open letter addressed to member and observer states of the United Nations Human Rights Council, 38 NGOs demanded that the Geneva-based body take immediate action to address the deteriorating situation.
Siege and Risk of Imminent Attack
The city of El-Obeid, a strategic hub in the southern Kordofan region, has been encircled for months by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group that has been engaged in a conflict with Sudan's regular army since April 2023. According to the NGOs' letter, after 18 months of siege-like conditions, the area around El-Obeid is at risk of an imminent ground offensive by the RSF and their allied forces.
The United Nations has previously expressed fears that the situation could lead to a repeat of the atrocities committed during the RSF's assault on El-Fasher in October 2025, which the UN said bore hallmarks of genocide. International alarm has been mounting, with stark warnings issued by the UN Security Council, Washington, and several European countries over the past week.
Call for Urgent Debate and Investigation
The NGOs urged the Human Rights Council to convene an urgent debate during its ongoing session, which is scheduled to conclude on July 7, or to hold a special session on the crisis at the earliest opportunity after that date. They further called on the council to request that an independent UN fact-finding mission conduct an urgent inquiry into the situation in and around El-Obeid.
“To prevent further atrocities,” the NGOs also called on countries at the council to “unequivocally condemn external actors supporting the warring parties.” The letter stated that external actors backing the RSF, Sudan's army, or other warring parties in the country “should also be condemned and held to account for the violations they have either committed or enabled, some of which amount to crimes under international law.”
Broader Conflict and Humanitarian Impact
The conflict in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the United Nations. The ongoing violence has created a dire humanitarian crisis, with the siege of El-Obeid exacerbating the suffering of civilians trapped in the city. The NGOs emphasized the need for bold steps toward atrocity prevention and accountability to avert further catastrophe.
