Sudan’s people subject to ‘relentless’ drone strikes in El Obeid
Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he called for urgent action from world leaders to stop the heavy fighting that has already caused
Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he called for urgent action from world leaders to stop the heavy fighting that has already caused a massive humanitarian emergency in Sudan and beyond. Mass atrocity crimes against civilians have been a regular feature of the war that erupted in 2023. In the space of just three weeks last month, Mr. Türk’s office documented 15 drone strikes on El Obeid – the capital of North Kordofan – and surrounding areas, which killed at least 45 civilians. Tweet URL Impossible choices The lethal autonomous weapons, launched by former allies the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the national army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), “have repeatedly struck markets, schools, fuel stations, water infrastructure and civilian vehicles”, the High Commissioner said, as he explained the terror now gripping besieged El Obeid “Some people are selling their belongings to finance their escape from the city. For many, the exorbitant cost of transport and constant attacks on vehicles along exit routes, make leaving impossible. We have documented patterns of summary executions, abductions, torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence, and looting along the routes taken by displaced people across the Kordofan region.” Fears of another El Fasher The High Commissioner’s warning follows previous atrocities against civilians including in the besieged North Darfur city of El Fasher last October, where 6,000 people were killed in a three-day rampage of war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to his Office.
Last April, RSF paramilitaries repeatedly shelled and then overran nearby Zamzam camp, the largest camp for highly vulnerable people displaced in North Darfur by the war. Red alert “These crimes were foreseen, with repeated warnings by myself and my Office. But they were not prevented,” Mr. Türk stressed to the Human Rights Council’s 47 Member States, before insisting that the “red alert” being issued “is not a drill” and needs to land on the desks of Heads of State and government around the world”. Echoing the call for action at the highest level, the UN rights chief call urged the Security Council to fulfil its responsibilities to prevent atrocity crimes. “El Obeid is a classic case that shows why the use of the veto should be limited, as proposed by France and Mexico more than 10 years ago,” he noted. Accountability for the crimes committed must happen too, he stressed, welcoming the continued engagement of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on seeking justice for Sudan’s war victims. El Obeid has more than half a million residents, together with at least 100,000 internally displaced persons – many of whom fled El Fasher in North Darfur and other devastated Sudanese cities. Latest information from the city indicates that the RSF now has control over all surrounding routes, except towards the East. Residents described growing military movements around the city by the RSF and increasing insecurity with drone attacks along exit routes, the Human Rights Council heard.
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