Yasin Gungor
20 June 2026•Update: 20 June 2026
The UN Security Council on Saturday voiced alarm over reports that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are massing substantial military reinforcements around El Obeid, the capital of the state of North Kordofan.
"The members of the Security Council expressed concern at the imminent risk of mass atrocities and demanded the RSF immediately halt its assault," the council said, noting the "risk of a potential ground offensive on the city."
The current escalation threatens to further exacerbate an "already dire humanitarian situation" in the Kordofan states, it said.
The UN body urged all warring parties to protect civilians and fulfill "obligations under international law," specifically citing the commitments of the Jeddah Declaration.
Council members expressed particular concern about the increase in drone strikes, urging perpetrators of abuses to "be held accountable."
It also emphasized the importance of "safe and unhindered humanitarian access" and asked foreign nations to refrain from "external interference" in the conflict.
Reaffirming Sudan’s territorial integrity, the council rejected the creation of any "parallel governing authority" by the RSF.
Council members called on the parties to the conflict to "immediately" halt the fighting.
Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the army and the RSF over plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the military. The war has triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, killing tens of thousands and displacing nearly 13 million people.
