Paramilitary group advances on Sudanese city of El Obeid

Paramilitary forces have increased deployments around El Obeid in central Sudan, prompting international warnings of possible attacks on civilians. The U.N. Security Council said it is alarmed by reports of substantial reinforcements by the Rapid Support Forces around the city in North Kordofan. The United States, Britain and several European countries have warned of escalating atrocity risks.

Background on the conflict Sudan's war entered its fourth year this month.

Last year the Rapid Support Forces seized the city of El Fasher in an attack that killed more than 6,000 people in three days, which U.N. experts said bore the hallmarks of genocide. El Obeid lies on Sudan's main east-west road to the Nile Valley and the capital, Khartoum.

Sudan's army broke a year-long siege of the city early last year. The city has a large air base and hosts an infantry division.

Recent attacks and civilian conditions Over recent months the Rapid Support Forces have carried out drone strikes on civilian infrastructure in El Obeid, including power facilities, neighborhoods, bridges and supply routes. At least 2,670 people were killed in the Kordofan region in 2025, a 600 percent increase in drone-related deaths from the previous year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project.

A 35-year-old resident reached by phone said a recent strike on a power facility caused a water crisis that forced her to pay $5 per barrel of water. She said residents remain committed to staying despite the hardships. A U.N. human rights office spokesperson said many civilians are trapped and those who can flee are leaving.

The spokesperson called for the offensive to be halted and for civilians to be allowed to leave safely. An army official speaking on condition of anonymity said recent drone strikes destroyed a Rapid Support Forces battalion and more than 50 armored vehicles in West Kordofan, blocking advances toward El Obeid.