Rights groups have accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of killing civilians in el-Obeid, a strategic city on the front line of the country’s civil war. The allegations come amid intensifying fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which has devastated large parts of Sudan and pushed the conflict deeper into urban areas and key transport corridors.
El-Obeid, located in North Kordofan state, has become an increasingly important flashpoint in the war because of its position linking central Sudan with the western regions. As violence spreads, residents have faced rising insecurity, shortages of basic supplies, and growing risks to civilians caught between the two rival forces. The reported killings have added to fears that the city could become the scene of further atrocities if the fighting escalates.
According to rights advocates, civilians in el-Obeid were targeted in attacks attributed to the RSF, raising fresh concerns about violations of international humanitarian law. The accusations have not only deepened outrage among local and international observers but also highlighted the broader pattern of abuse that has marked the war since it began. Both sides have been repeatedly accused of indiscriminate shelling, unlawful killings, looting, and displacement of noncombatants.
The RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed militias and has grown into a powerful paramilitary force, has played a central role in the conflict that erupted in April 2023. The war has split control of the country, displaced millions of people, and caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. El-Obeid’s location makes it strategically significant, and any escalation there could affect supply routes, civilian movement, and efforts to deliver aid.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that civilians remain the main victims of the fighting. In many parts of Sudan, hospitals, schools, markets, and neighborhoods have been hit by violence, while access to food, water, fuel, and medical care has become increasingly limited. The reported killings in el-Obeid underscore the danger faced by communities in areas where front lines are fluid and accountability for abuses remains weak.
The latest accusations are likely to increase pressure on the RSF and on international actors seeking to halt the conflict. Calls for investigations into war crimes and protection of civilians have grown louder as the violence continues with little sign of a breakthrough in peace talks. For residents of el-Obeid, the immediate concern remains survival, as the city sits in the path of a war that has already inflicted enormous suffering across Sudan.
