Sudanese Armed Forces And Rapid Support Forces Tighten Standoff As El-Obeid Burns

In Sudan, drone attacks and a months-long siege have made el-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, a new flashpoint as the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tighten their standoff.

Al Jazeera reported that el-Obeid sits 550km (340 miles) southwest of Khartoum and functions as a primary gateway linking Khartoum to Darfur, while the city hosts the SAF’s 5th Infantry Division, known as “Al-Hagana”.

Agenzia Fides

The same report said renewed US diplomatic pressure aimed at securing a nationwide truce has not shifted the generals’ positions, with SAF commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejecting unconditional truces.

Al Jazeera quoted al-Burhan saying the army will operate with the precision of “digging with a needle” until the RSF is entirely dismantled, as the conflict’s external arms flow sustains the war of attrition.

Al Jazeera also cited David Shinn, a former US diplomat and assistant secretary of state for African affairs, saying, “There is a desire from both sides to continue fighting until one side wins.”

A separate report from Al Jazeera’s coverage of the drone war described armed drones as the leading cause of civilian deaths, with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk saying they account for more than 80% of conflict-related fatalities.

The same article said drones killed at least 880 civilians between January and April, and it linked the escalation to attacks on densely populated areas and civilian infrastructure.

Al Jazeera

Le Figaro, citing a medical source and an eyewitness speaking to AFP, reported that a drone strike on el-Obeid on Monday killed ten people, including seven children, after the strike hit a house in the city center.

Le Figaro added that the power there was cut on Sunday after a drone strike targeted its power plant, according to the national electricity company.

Dabanga Radio TV Online said repeated drone strikes on El Obeid have killed and injured civilians this week and that attacks have targeted civilian and service facilities across the city, with residents describing strikes beginning as early as 10am and continuing until the early hours of the morning on some nights.

In el-Obeid, the drone campaign has deepened shortages and raised costs, with Radio Dabanga reporting that fuel shortages have sent black market prices soaring and that a gallon of petrol now sells for between SDG150,000 and SDG160,000.

Radio Dabanga said diesel costs between SDG75,000 and SDG90,000 per gallon and that rising fuel costs disrupted bakery operations, pushing up bread prices to three or four loaves for SDG1,000 depending on the neighbourhood.

Le Figaro said the conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and provoked what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, while mediation attempts to end the fighting have failed.

Al Jazeera framed the strategic stakes by describing el-Obeid as a gateway between Khartoum and Darfur and as a major military stronghold, warning that urgent global warnings have not altered the calculus on the ground.

Al Jazeera also reported that 38 international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), alongside the UN and countries including Qatar, sounded the alarm over the escalating use of drones and the potential for mass atrocities, warning el-Obeid could face the same devastation recently seen in el-Fasher.