Britain and six European allies on Tuesday called for an immediate halt to violence targeting the Muslim-majority Sudanese city of El-Obeid, which is encircled by paramilitary forces, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office.
Joint Statement Warns of Imminent Offensive
“There are now credible signs of an imminent offensive. This is a critical moment, and the international community must act,” a joint statement signed by Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway said. “We call on the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) to halt its attack immediately,” it added.
The joint statement said repeated drone strikes over recent weeks had “killed civilians and driven acute shortages of fuel, food and water” with aid workers providing life-saving assistance also being “deliberately targeted.”
Demand for Safe Passage and Humanitarian Access
“Civilians must be able to leave safely, and all parties must ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access,” the statement said. Those attacking the city and their allies should “de-escalate, uphold international humanitarian law,” it added.
UK Foreign Minister Warns of Repeat of El Fasher Atrocities
UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said there must not be a repeat of atrocities seen in the city of El Fasher in 2025. “Last year, the world watched in horror as the Rapid Support Forces raped, pillaged, and murdered their way through El Fasher — leaving nothing but devastation and death in their wake. This cannot be repeated.
“El-Obeid is on the precipice of an atrocity that will deepen the wounds already inflicted on Sudan in El Fasher,” she said in a statement.
US and UN Security Council Also Express Concern
The United States on Monday warned of the danger of “mass atrocities” in El-Obeid. The city, in the Kordofan region of Sudan, has been under siege for several months by the RSF, which has been at war with the regular army since April 2023. The UN Security Council on Saturday expressed the same concerns and called on paramilitary forces encircling El-Obeid to back down.
Conflict Has Caused Tens of Thousands of Deaths and Mass Displacement
The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than 11 million from their homes, creating what the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.
