United Nations Warns of Crisis in El-Obeid, Sudan

New York / Khartoum – The United Nations Special Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, has called on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to urgently reduce the tensions in the city of El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, to prevent the security and humanitarian situation from worsening.

The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stated that Haavisto spoke on the phone with the RSF commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), warning him of the dangers posed by new fighting in the city.

“The Special Envoy emphasized the urgent need to stabilize the situation in El-Obeid and to avoid any actions that could exacerbate the conflict, which could endanger the lives of civilians and further worsen the already dire humanitarian situation,” Dujarric said.

Haavisto also urged the warring parties to focus on political dialogue and efforts to end the long-standing conflict in Sudan.

The discussions also touched on the latest political developments, including meetings facilitated by the Quintet countries and Sudanese civil stakeholders that took place in Addis Ababa.

The United Nations reiterated the call from UN Secretary-General António Guterres for all parties to exercise restraint and to protect civilians.

“We must not allow the humanitarian disaster that occurred in Al-Fasher to be repeated in El-Obeid,” Dujarric said.

Sudan has been facing a war between government forces and the RSF since April 2023, stemming from a dispute over a plan to integrate the RSF into the national army. This conflict has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with estimates of tens of thousands dead and nearly 13 million displaced both internally and externally.

The United Nations and the international community continue efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire and a political solution to end the conflict in Sudan.