The Siege of El-Obeid: Why the Sudanese Army is Trapping Its Own Civilians

Evidence emerging since late 2025 suggests that the SAF is not merely a passive defender against the RSF, but an active participant in the confinement of non-combatants. The Sudanese Alliance for Rights recently highlighted footage of Abu Aqla Mohammed Kaikal, a commander of the SAF-affiliated “Sudan’s Shield,” explicitly threatening to shoot those attempting to escape. Under international humanitarian law, this conduct constitutes forced displacement and the illegal use of civilians as human shields, yet the army’s role remains largely ignored by international observers.

This strategy is compounded by the SAF’s operational reliance on the al-Baraa bin Malik Brigade, a group linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and accused of extremist atrocities. Diplomatically, this entanglement creates an untenable position, as the army’s actions mirror the violence it claims to oppose. When the military treats civilians as strategic assets rather than protected subjects, it renders humanitarian aid and safe passage corridors impossible to implement. The current diplomatic focus, which prioritizes restraining the RSF, fails to address the reality that the SAF is actively punishing residents who attempt to seek safety. For those trapped, the distinction between the two warring factions is secondary to the immediate threat of being shot by the very forces tasked with their protection.