NEW YORK – The United Nations has issued an urgent warning against an imminent military offensive on Sudan’s strategic city of El Obeid, with senior officials calling for an immediate halt to escalating military operations amid fears that the violence could mirror the devastating atrocities witnessed in North Darfur.
Senior UN officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, and Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, have expressed alarm over the escalating fighting in and around El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State and a major population center that has increasingly become a focal point in Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
The warnings come as reports emerge of intensified military activities and drone attacks affecting civilian areas and critical infrastructure in and around the city.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply concerned” by the worsening security situation.
“I’m deeply concerned by the escalation of fighting in and around El Obeid, a major population centre in Sudan, including drone attacks impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” Guterres said in a statement on X this week.
The UN chief called on all parties involved in the conflict to exercise restraint and prioritize civilian protection.
“I call for restraint from all sides and urge them to take all necessary measures to respect and protect civilians and humanitarians,” he said.
Guterres warned that previous international inaction in Sudan had allowed devastating violence to unfold elsewhere, particularly in Darfur.
“Far too many times in this conflict, clear warnings have failed to trigger concerted action by the international community. I urge all those with influence to exert it to prevent further bloodshed,” he said.
“We must not allow the horrors of El Fasher to be repeated in El Obeid.”
The warning was echoed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who described the current developments as alarmingly similar to events that preceded atrocities in North Darfur.
“We have seen this playbook before. We know where it led then, and cannot now allow a repeat of the preventable atrocities we documented in El Fasher and Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur last year,” Türk said.
He warned that civilians in Kordofan, particularly those living in El Obeid, face grave risks if military operations continue.
“Civilians are at grave risk in Kordofan, particularly in El Obeid, in the absence of action to halt the imminent offensive and further military escalation,” he said.
Türk described the situation as an impending human rights disaster and called on influential states to intervene urgently.
“Let this be a stark warning to the world of an impending human rights disaster and worsening humanitarian situation. The States with influence have the duty to exercise it now to stop this madness in its tracks,” he said.
He further emphasized that Sudanese civilians urgently need protection and peace.
“The people of Sudan need peace – urgent measures must be taken to protect civilians and prevent further atrocities, including sexual violence, as well as further displacement and civilian suffering,” Türk said.
“The world is watching, and those responsible for violations must be held accountable.”
Adding to the growing international concern, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Saturday joined the Secretary-General’s appeal for an end to the violence.
“I join the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of violence and urge all those with influence to act now to prevent further bloodshed,” Mohammed said.
El Obeid occupies a strategic position linking western and central Sudan and serves as a critical humanitarian and commercial hub. Any large-scale military offensive in the city could threaten hundreds of thousands of civilians and further worsen Sudan’s already severe humanitarian crisis.
The latest warnings from senior UN officials represent one of the strongest coordinated appeals by the international organization in recent months, signaling fears that the conflict could enter an even more destructive phase if immediate action is not taken.
