The United Nations Human Rights Council has ordered an urgent investigation into alleged atrocities in Sudan’s city of El-Obeid, amid growing concerns that escalating fighting could trigger another large-scale humanitarian catastrophe.
The decision comes as clashes intensify around El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, where the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) continue to battle for control of strategically important territory.
The Human Rights Council said the investigation will seek to collect and preserve evidence of alleged human rights violations and abuses committed during the fighting. The findings are expected to support future accountability efforts and help deter further attacks against civilians.
The probe follows warnings from UN officials and human rights experts that hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in and around El-Obeid face an increasing risk of mass atrocities, including unlawful killings, forced displacement, and other serious violations of international humanitarian law.
The city has become a key flashpoint in Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023 following a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the RSF. The conflict has triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing millions of people and leaving large parts of the country facing famine and the collapse of essential services.
Human rights investigators hope the inquiry will document alleged abuses, identify those responsible, and strengthen international efforts to protect civilians as violence continues to spread across Sudan.
The Human Rights Council also stressed the importance of ensuring that those responsible for serious violations of international law are held accountable, warning that impunity could fuel further violence.
The investigation comes amid growing international concern that the conflict in Sudan is entering an even more dangerous phase, with humanitarian agencies warning that continued fighting threatens the lives of millions of civilians already affected by hunger, displacement, and limited access to medical care.
