Diplomatic coalition warns of impending massacre in al-Obeid

The joint statement, backed by Britain, France, Germany, and 21 other nations, demands an immediate cessation of hostilities. Tormod Endresen, Norway’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, emphasized that the city currently shelters 100,000 internally displaced persons who remain directly in the line of fire. Recent intelligence points to 10 consecutive days of drone strikes that have already claimed at least 50 civilian lives and severely damaged local infrastructure.

Al-Obeid serves as a strategic lynchpin in the broader Sudanese conflict, situated between the army-held central regions and the RSF-controlled territory in Darfur. The region’s agricultural significance has turned it into a primary theater for the ongoing power struggle. This warning follows the October collapse of al-Fashir, where an 18-month siege preceded a final offensive by the RSF. While the U.S. and various human rights organizations have leveled accusations of genocide against the paramilitary group, the RSF continues to deny involvement in ethnically motivated violence, promising to investigate internal abuses.