Recent drone strikes have damaged El-Obeid’s main power station and fuel depots, cutting electricity across large parts of the city and disrupting water supplies after pumping stations were forced offline.

Residents said they now rely on water tankers, wells and limited distribution points as shortages deepen, while food prices have surged and transportation costs continue to rise.

El-Obeid, home to roughly half a million people and nearly 100,000 displaced civilians, occupies a strategic position linking army-controlled central and eastern Sudan with the western Darfur region, much of which remains under RSF control.

The United Nations has warned of significant RSF troop movements around the city ahead of a possible ground assault. Analysts say capturing El-Obeid would strengthen RSF control over western Sudan and potentially provide a corridor toward the capital, Khartoum.

According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), RSF troop concentrations have recently been observed north, south and west of the city, while the only remaining army-controlled supply route to Kosti has become increasingly hazardous.

El-Obeid also hosts a Sudanese army infantry division, an air base, a key oil pipeline and one of the country’s major gum arabic trading centers, making it a significant military and economic objective.

Humanitarian agencies warned that deteriorating security has sharply reduced aid access. The International Organization for Migration said the city was approaching conditions resembling a total siege, with civilians increasingly unable to leave or receive assistance.

UN agencies have suspended access to the area as security conditions worsen, while relief supplies already positioned inside the city are being rapidly depleted.

Humanitarian officials warned that, without urgent assistance, conditions could soon mirror those experienced in El-Fasher, where prolonged fighting left civilians facing severe food shortages and widespread destruction.

The Sudanese army said it had targeted RSF equipment advancing toward El-Obeid in an effort to slow the offensive. A source close to the RSF accused the military of using civilians as human shields and called for the evacuation of non-combatants, an allegation the army has not publicly addressed.

Analysts cautioned that even if El-Obeid does not experience the same pattern of ethnically driven violence seen elsewhere in the conflict, civilians remain at significant risk of looting, sexual violence and attacks amid continued fighting.

The war between Sudan’s military and the RSF, which erupted in April 2023, has displaced millions of people and triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with repeated warnings from international organizations of worsening food insecurity and civilian suffering.

The attacks began on Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday, targeting residential neighborhoods, a funeral gathering and a truck transporting food supplies in the strategically important city in North Kordofan state, according to the Emergency Lawyers group.

The organization, which has documented alleged abuses during the conflict, blamed the strikes on the RSF. The claims could not be independently verified, and the paramilitary force did not immediately comment on the allegations.

Residents described extensive destruction across parts of the city, with homes damaged or destroyed and casualties transported to local hospitals.

One witness in the Al-Matar district in eastern El-Obeid said several houses collapsed after being hit, trapping residents beneath the rubble. Another resident told AFP that a relative was among those killed and that he had seen multiple bodies brought to a nearby medical facility.

A medical source said two children and a woman believed to be their mother were among the dead.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, has been partially surrounded by RSF forces for months and remains a key strategic center linking western and eastern Sudan. Control of the wider Kordofan region is viewed as critical because it connects RSF-held territories in Darfur with areas controlled by the Sudanese army.

Drone warfare has become an increasingly significant feature of Sudan’s conflict since fighting erupted in April 2023 between the military and the RSF. The use of unmanned aerial attacks has expanded as both sides seek to strike targets beyond front-line positions.

According to United Nations figures, at least 880 civilians were killed in drone strikes across Sudan between January and April this year.

Military operations have intensified in Kordofan and neighboring Blue Nile state in recent months, particularly following the RSF’s capture of El-Fasher in October 2025, ending the army’s hold on its last major stronghold in western Darfur.

The broader conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 11 million and triggered what the United Nations has described as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crisis.

According to the ICRC, more than 8,000 missing-person cases have been recorded during the war, although the organization said it had resolved over 1,000 cases and declined to specify how many involved people found alive or deceased.

Many of those missing in Khartoum state are believed to be among the thousands of bodies discovered in makeshift graves after the army regained control of the capital from RSF fighters last year. During intense fighting, residents often buried the dead near homes, roadsides and public spaces because access to cemeteries was too dangerous.

Associated Press reporters visiting Khartoum last month observed improvised burial sites in sports fields and other urban areas, with many graves lacking identification markers. A military media representative accompanied the reporting team during the visit.

Khartoum state authorities have relocated nearly 30,000 bodies from an estimated 50,000 hastily dug graves scattered across the region, according to forensic officials. The reburial effort remains ongoing as authorities work to identify the dead.

Hisham Zienalabdien, director general of Khartoum state’s forensic medicine department, said approximately 10% of recovered bodies remain unidentified. Authorities are preserving DNA samples from those remains in hopes that future testing will allow relatives to confirm identities.

Efforts to identify victims have been hampered by extensive wartime destruction. Laboratories that could conduct DNA analysis have been damaged or destroyed, while many forensic specialists have fled the country or are no longer able to work.

The uncertainty has left thousands of families searching for answers. Relatives continue visiting hospitals, morgues, detention centers and military facilities in attempts to locate loved ones who disappeared during military operations, displacement or detention.

Humanitarian organizations say the psychological burden of not knowing whether relatives are alive or dead has compounded the suffering caused by conflict and displacement. The ICRC said families of missing persons face heightened vulnerabilities stemming from ongoing hostilities and prolonged uncertainty.

The war has also complicated traditional burial practices. In many cases, families have been unable to retrieve or properly bury relatives killed during fighting, forcing communities to conduct emergency burials near homes and neighborhoods.

Sudan’s conflict has generated one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with widespread destruction, mass displacement and severe disruptions to public services across large parts of the country.

In a statement issued in Geneva, the UN human rights office said its Sudan monitoring team had determined that drone attacks accounted for more than 80 percent of all conflict-related civilian deaths recorded during the first four months of 2026.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the rapid expansion of drone warfare had transformed the nature of the conflict.“Armed drones have now become by far and away the leading cause of civilian deaths,” Turk said.

The warning underscores escalating concerns among humanitarian agencies and international observers over the intensifying use of unmanned aerial systems in Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The conflict has devastated large parts of the country, displaced millions of civilians and triggered what aid organizations describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.The UN did not specify which parties were responsible for the drone strikes cited in its report, but rights monitors have repeatedly warned that the growing availability of armed drone technology has widened the scale and reach of attacks on populated areas.

Human rights officials cautioned that the increasing reliance on drones risked accelerating civilian casualties while further complicating efforts to secure ceasefires or humanitarian access.

Sudan’s capital Khartoum and several regions including Darfur have witnessed heavy fighting, air strikes and widespread destruction since the war began, with repeated allegations of violations of international humanitarian law by both sides.

International mediation efforts led by regional powers, the African Union and the United Nations have so far failed to produce a durable ceasefire.

Dagalo, the brother of RSF commander Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, was identified as playing a key role in sustaining RSF operations, including in El-Fasher, where widespread abuses have been documented during the group’s siege of the city.

A February report by the U.N. Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan detailed what it described as grave violations committed during the assault on El-Fasher, including systematic starvation, torture, killings, rape and deliberate ethnic targeting on a large scale.

In addition to Dagalo, the council imposed sanctions on three Colombian nationals — Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero and Mateo Andres Duque Botero — for their alleged roles in recruiting former Colombian military personnel to fight for the RSF in Sudan.

According to evidence cited by U.N. officials, Colombian recruits provided tactical and technical support to RSF forces and served as infantry fighters, artillery operators, drone specialists, drivers and military trainers. Some were also accused of involvement in training children for combat.

The recruits were reported to have taken part in multiple battles across Sudan, including in the capital Khartoum, Omdurman, Kordofan and El-Fasher.
British Minister of State for Africa Jenny Chapman said the sanctions reflected a broader determination to hold those responsible for abuses accountable.

“We are cracking down on those who facilitate and profit from this conflict,” Chapman said in a statement. “We are determined that all individuals responsible for these atrocities will be held to account.”

She added that Britain, working with allies, would continue efforts to push Sudan’s warring parties toward negotiations, secure humanitarian access and pursue justice for victims.

The 1591 sanctions regime, established in 2005, includes travel bans, asset freezes and arms embargoes against individuals and entities accused of obstructing peace efforts in Sudan’s Darfur region. Diplomats said the latest measures were approved unanimously by all 15 members of the Security Council sanctions committee.

In February, Britain, France and the United States secured sanctions against four RSF commanders linked to atrocities in El-Fasher, signaling growing international concern over the deepening conflict.

Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, a power struggle that has triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing millions and devastating large parts of the country.

Aid officials said shortages of food, medicine and shelter were worsening rapidly, particularly in Darfur and Khartoum, where access for humanitarian workers remains severely restricted.

The UN called for urgent international funding and stronger diplomatic efforts to prevent further regional destabilization.

A new wave of optimism is sweeping across Sudan as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have agreed to a humanitarian ceasefire proposed by the United States and Arab partners.

This development marks an important step toward restoring peace and stability in a nation that has long suffered from conflict and hardship.

The RSF’s acceptance of the ceasefire initiative signals a growing commitment to prioritize humanitarian needs and create a pathway for dialogue.

Their readiness to discuss long-term peace arrangements reflects a positive turn in Sudan’s ongoing efforts to rebuild trust and unity among its people.

The U.S., alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, has been actively working to promote peace in Sudan. The proposed truce aims to allow safe humanitarian access, deliver aid to affected regions, and pave the way for a sustainable political process.

The international community has welcomed the RSF’s statement, viewing it as a step toward ending the two-and-a-half-year conflict.
The United States reaffirmed its dedication to facilitating negotiations that could help both sides find common ground.

“The RSF looks forward to implementing the agreement and beginning discussions on cessation of hostilities and the principles guiding Sudan’s political process,” the group stated. Such language reflects a renewed tone of cooperation and hope, signaling potential progress for the war-torn nation.

The ceasefire plan aligns with growing global calls for peace and stability across Africa. Neighboring countries and humanitarian organizations have expressed support for a coordinated effort to ease the suffering of civilians, especially in famine-stricken areas.

The proposed truce not only promises to reduce violence but also allows for essential aid delivery to displaced families.
Medical organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continue their tireless efforts to treat victims and provide relief in North Darfur and other regions.

U.S. officials emphasized the urgency of immediate de-escalation to prevent further loss of life and displacement. Their ongoing engagement with both parties reflects the international community’s determination to help Sudan return to peace and stability.

If implemented successfully, this ceasefire could become a foundation for a long-term peace agreement.
Such an achievement would represent a monumental shift for Sudan, offering new opportunities for reconciliation, rebuilding, and development.

Sudanese citizens, weary from years of turmoil, are expressing cautious hope that this truce may finally open a path toward healing.
Community leaders have called on all parties to honor their commitments and protect civilians at all costs.

This agreement demonstrates that diplomacy and humanitarian concern can still prevail even amid deep divisions. By prioritizing peace over conflict, Sudan’s leaders are showing the world that dialogue remains the most powerful tool for change.

International observers view the RSF’s willingness to cooperate as a signal of shifting priorities within Sudan’s leadership. The promise of accountability for past violations and protection of civilians marks a hopeful beginning for a more responsible and transparent approach.

Peace advocates around the world continue to emphasize that lasting stability in Sudan will require unity, patience, and strong international support. With continued cooperation between Sudan, the United States, and Arab nations, the potential for peace grows stronger each day.

This humanitarian ceasefire initiative represents more than a pause in fighting—it symbolizes a chance for renewal. It allows Sudan to look ahead to a future defined by compassion, dialogue, and shared purpose rather than division.

As the world watches closely, this moment may become a turning point in Sudan’s history. Through collaboration and goodwill, the dream of a peaceful and prosperous Sudan feels closer than ever before.

Gunfire was heard as opponents of the takeover took to the street and medics said people had been hurt in clashes.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who headed the Sovereign Council that had shared power between the military and civilians, said the council had been dissolved. He announced a state of emergency, saying the military needed to protect the country’s safety and security.

“We guarantee the armed forces’ commitment to completing the democratic transition until we hand over to a civilian elected government,” he said, setting elections for July 2023.

“What the country is going through now is a real threat and danger to the dreams of the youth and the hopes of the nation.”

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was detained and taken to an undisclosed location after refusing to issue a statement in support of the takeover, said the information ministry, which was still apparently under the control of Hamdok’s supporters.

The ministry called Burhan’s announcement a military coup and urged resistance. It said tens of thousands of people opposed to the takeover had taken to the streets and had faced gunfire near the military headquarters in Khartoum.

At least 12 people were injured in clashes, a doctors’ committee said, without providing further details.

In Khartoum’s twin city Omdurman, protesters barricaded streets and chanted in support of civilian rule.

“We will defend democracy until the end,” said one protester, 21-year-old Iman Ahmed.

“Burhan cannot deceive us. This is a military coup,” said another young man who gave his name as Saleh.

‘Raise Our Voices‘

Joint forces from the military and from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces were stationed in the streets of Khartoum.

The information ministry said troops had arrested civilian members of the Sovereign Council and government figures. It called on Sudanese to oppose the military attempt “to block the democratic transition”.

“We raise our voices loudly to reject this coup attempt,” it said in a statement.

Sudan has been ruled for most of its post-colonial history by military leaders who seized power in coups. It had become a pariah to the West on the U.S. terrorism blacklist under Bashir, who hosted Osama bin Laden in the 1990s and is wanted by the International Criminal Court in the Hague for war crimes.

The country had been on edge since last month when a failed coup plot, blamed on Bashir supporters, unleashed recriminations between the military and civilians in the transitional cabinet. 

In recent weeks a coalition of rebel groups and political parties had aligned themselves with the military and called on it to dissolve the civilian government, while cabinet ministers took part in protests against the prospect of military rule.

Sudan has also been suffering a grave economic crisis. Civilian officials have claimed credit for some tentative signs of stabilisation after a sharp devaluation of the currency and the lifting of fuel subsidies.

Washington had tried to avert the collapse of the power-sharing agreement by sending a special envoy, Jeffrey Feltman. The director of Hamdok’s office, Adam Hereika, told Reuters the military had mounted the takeover despite “positive movements” towards an agreement after meetings with Feltman in recent days.

The military had been meant to pass on leadership of the Sovereign Council to a civilian figure in the coming months. But transitional authorities had struggled to move forward on issues including whether to hand Bashir over to the Hague.

Burhan said it was incumbent on the armed forces to act after infighting between some political forces and “the striving for power” and “incitement to chaos and violence”.

U.S. envoy Feltman said a military takeover would put U.S. aid at risk. The U.S. Embassy urged those disrupting the transition to democracy to stand down and let the civilian-led government continue its work.

The United Nations, Arab League and African Union all expressed concern. Sudan’s political leaders should be released and human rights respected, AU Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat said in a statement.

Britain called the coup an unacceptable betrayal of the Sudanese people. France called for the immediate release of Hamdok and other civilian leaders. Egypt called on all parties to exercise self-restraint. Saudi Arabia said it was following developments with extreme concern.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, an activist coalition in the uprising against Bashir, called for a strike.

Burhan’s “reckless decisions will increase the ferocity of the street’s resistance and unity after all illusions of partnership are removed,” it said on its Facebook page.

The main opposition Forces of Freedom and Change alliance called for civil disobedience and protests across the country.

Military forces stormed Sudanese Radio and Television headquarters in Omdurman and arrested employees, the information ministry said on its Facebook page. Two major political parties, the Umma and the Sudanese Congress, condemned what they called a coup and campaign of arrests.

Hamdok, an economist and former senior U.N. official, was appointed as a technocratic prime minister in 2019 but struggled to sustain the transition amid splits between the military and civilians and the pressures of the economic crisis.

Family sources told Reuters military forces had also stormed the house of Hamdok’s media adviser, a senior civilian figure and former minister, and arrested him.