Norway has joined calls for de-escalation amid an assault on the city of Al Obeid in central Sudan, and warned of the danger of imminent large-scale atrocities against civilians.
Drone strikes have killed at least 50 civilians in and around Al Obeid, in Sudan's North Kordofan region, over the past 10 days, after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces sent a large number of troops to the city's surrounding areas.
The RSF has long threatened to take the Sudanese Armed Forces-controlled city, which is adjacent to areas of North Kordofan that are currently under paramilitary control.
A video clip posted online and widely shared purported to show RSF fighters warning civilians in Al Obeid to stay clear of military facilities in the city, which they vowed to imminently seize.
The capture of Al Obeid by the RSF would open the way for the paramilitary to reach the capital Khartoum, which it seized soon after the war broke out in April 2023 and held for nearly two years before it was pushed out by the army and its allies.
Norwegian ambassador to the UN Tormod Endresen on Thursday told the world body's Human Rights Council in Geneva that reports of ethnic and gender-based violence in and around Al Obeid were “credible” and “deplorable”.
Speaking on behalf of a group of countries, Mr Endresen warned that the RSF could imminently escalate its assault on Al Obeid, and that this may put as many as half a million civilians in danger.
“We call on the Rapid Support Forces to immediately cease their assault on Al Obeid. We are deeply concerned at the risk of imminent escalation, leaving approximately 500,000 civilians at risk of falling victim to large-scale atrocities, including more than 100,000 internally displaced persons,” he said. He also called for pressure to be put on the Sudanese Armed Forces to ensure civilians are protected from harm.
“We call on all states to apply maximum pressure on the Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces and their allies to prevent atrocities and protect civilians,” he said.
“We urge, therefore, all parties to immediately de-escalate and comply fully with international humanitarian law. Civilians must be allowed to leave freely and safely, and humanitarian actors must have unhindered access to those in need, supported by credible security guarantees.”
Sudan's civil war erupted when months-long tension between the army and the RSF over their respective places in a future democratic Sudan boiled over into open warfare.
The war has killed tens of thousands, and about 14 million people have been displaced, according to a recent UN report, with 9 million inside Sudan and 4.4 million across borders. It has also created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with some 20 million facing hunger.
Both sides have been accused of war crimes by the United Nations. The US had previously imposed sanctions against the army and its chief, Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, who is also the country's de facto leader.
