UN Security Council warns of imminent mass atrocities in Sudan's El Obeid

On 20‑21 June 2026 the United Nations Security Council issued an urgent statement expressing deep concern that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were preparing a major assault on El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, Sudan. The Council warned of an “imminent risk of mass atrocities” and demanded that the RSF halt its offensive immediately. It highlighted reports of intensified fighting, RSF drone strikes on the city, and warned that the violence could further exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation that the UN describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis, with tens of thousands killed and more than 11 million people displaced.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres urged the international community not to allow the horrors of El‑Fasher to be repeated in El Obeid, and UN special envoy Pekka Haavisto made a direct appeal to RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to de‑escalate. The Council called for all parties to protect civilians, comply with international humanitarian law and the Jeddah Declaration, allow safe humanitarian access, and investigate any violations. It also urged all states to refrain from external interference and to implement Security Council resolution 2791 (2025).