The spokesman for the UN Secretary-General on Thursday said Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by the escalation of fighting in and around El Obeid, North Kordofan state, including drone attacks impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres is particularly alarmed by reports of the deployment, by the Rapid Support Forces, of substantial military reinforcements around El Obeid, which may indicate an imminent ground offensive on the city, potentially placing yet another major population center in Sudan at grave risk of large-scale violence.
“The Secretary-General calls for restraint from all parties and urges them to take all necessary measures to respect and protect civilians. Far too many times in this conflict, clear warnings have failed to trigger concerted action by the international community. The Secretary-General urges all those with influence over the parties to exert it to prevent further bloodshed. We must not allow the horrors of El Fasher to be repeated in El Obeid,” he said. “The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. He urges the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to engage with international efforts, including those of his Personal Envoy for Sudan, to facilitate de-escalation and a negotiated settlement to end this devastating conflict.”
“Humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance in El Obeid and across the Kordofan region, despite the deteriorating security situation. A humanitarian worker was among the civilians killed by drone strikes in residential neighborhoods in El Obeid over the past week,” Dujarric added.
He said the Secretary-General stresses that humanitarian workers and supplies must be able to move safely. Humanitarian operations must be protected and facilitated. El Obeid is a crucial hub for humanitarian response efforts across the broader Kordofan region.
“Civilians who wish to leave must be allowed to do so safely. Those choosing to remain must be respected, protected, and have access to the humanitarian relief they need,” he said. “The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their clear obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to facilitate rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.”
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