EL-OBEID — Norway delivered a statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council on behalf of the Coalition for Atrocity Prevention and Justice for Sudan, warning that approximately 500,000 civilians in Sudan are at risk of large-scale atrocities. The coalition urged all states to apply pressure on the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces to prevent these events and protect civilians.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that an imminent offensive in el-Obeid risks violations of international law. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also issued a statement regarding a possible imminent ground offensive in el-Obeid.

The coalition, which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Sierra Leone, had 21 additional countries join its statement. According to a coalition statement, ten consecutive days of drone strikes killed at least 50 civilians in el-Obeid and North Kordofan. el-Obeid is the capital of North Kordofan state.

Residents of el-Obeid have experienced siege-like conditions for more than 18 months, with a humanitarian worker killed by drone strikes in residential neighborhoods in the week prior to these reports. Turk said, "We have seen this playbook before. We cannot allow the repeat of the preventable atrocities we documented in al-Fasher and Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur last year." He added, "Let this be a stark warning to the world about an impending human rights disaster and worsening humanitarian situation."

The Sudanese Armed Forces control the central and eastern regions of Sudan, while the RSF control the Darfur region in western Sudan. The RSF captured el-Fasher in Darfur in October following an 18-month siege. The RSF denied responsibility for ethnically charged killings and stated that those responsible for abuses will be held accountable. Guterres said, "Far too many times in this conflict, clear warnings have failed to trigger concerted action by the international community."