El Obeid, Sudan battered by relentless drone strikes killing dozens

United Nations officials reported that the Sudanese city of El Obeid has endured a wave of drone attacks over the past three weeks. Fifteen strikes documented by the UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, have killed at least 45 civilians and injured dozens more. The attacks have hit schools, markets, fuel stations, power and water infrastructure, and residential neighborhoods, leaving the half‑million‑strong city and its 100,000 internally displaced residents without essential services.

The strikes are attributed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as they advance toward the city, which remains defended by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). UN officials warned that the pattern of attacks – including summary executions, abductions, torture and sexual violence – signals a risk of mass atrocities and potentially genocide, urging a “red alert” and action by the UN Security Council. The humanitarian situation is described as dire, with civilians struggling to flee amid blocked routes and relentless bombardment.