Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy on Tuesday called for intensified international efforts to prevent the Sudanese city of Al Obeid from sliding into a broader humanitarian and security catastrophe, accusing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of targeting civilian infrastructure.
In a statement, Fahmy said he was following with “deep concern” the deteriorating situation in Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state.
“More than 500,000 civilians, including tens of thousands of displaced people, are under siege and facing sustained drone attacks by the RSF targeting markets, schools, hospitals and water and electricity facilities,” he added.
Fahmy warned that the continued military buildup and attacks on residential neighbourhoods and civilian infrastructure risk repeating the atrocities witnessed in Al Fasher, despite repeated international warnings that serious violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity could occur.
Dialogue
He called for greater international and regional efforts to prevent the city from descending into a wider humanitarian and security disaster, end actions that prolong the conflict, and uphold Sudan's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Fahmy reaffirmed the Arab League's support for efforts to advance an inclusive Sudanese-led political process and encourage dialogue among Sudanese parties to help end the conflict, protect civilians, and ease the humanitarian crisis.
He said those efforts are being coordinated through the five-party mechanism that includes the Arab League, the African Union, the UN, the EU, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
On Monday, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution calling for an urgent investigation into violations against civilians in Al Obeid.
Drone attacks
The RSF has carried out drone attacks on Al Obeid for about a month, targeting the city's main power station, fuel facilities and other civilian sites, leaving dozens of people dead and injured.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The war has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing nearly 13 million.
