UN Human Rights Council Holds Urgent Debate on Sudan’s El-Obeid After Britain Warns Atrocities

The UN Human Rights Council decided to hold an urgent debate on the human rights situation in and around el-Obeid in Sudan, after Britain’s envoy warned of the risk of large-scale atrocities.

Britain’s Human Rights Ambassador Eleanor Sanders described “siege-like conditions” that have left thousands trapped and cut off from humanitarian aid amid intensifying drone strikes.

A News

The request follows reports that Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and allies are massing forces around the city of al-Obeid that could result in an escalation of the conflict.

Sanders told the Geneva-based council, “Up to 500,000 civilians are now at risk of large-scale atrocities...We cannot allow a repeat of preventable atrocities,” and the debate is set for July 3.

Sudan’s delegation declined to address the council on Tuesday, while Sanders said London planned to table a motion before the 47-member council on Friday.

In Geneva, the UN Human Rights Council is due to hold an urgent meeting to address the human rights situation in and around el-Obeid, North Kordofan, amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

The urgent debate follows an official request submitted by a core group of countries comprising Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, which warned that about 500,000 civilians are at risk of large-scale atrocities.

Al Jazeera

The request also cited increasing drone strikes that have destroyed civilian infrastructure, resulting in severe fuel and water shortages, while siege-like conditions have left thousands trapped in el-Obeid and cut off from basic services.

Separately, the Sudan Doctors Network said the Rapid Support Forces detained 20 doctors, including four women, since overrunning el-Fasher in October last year, and their whereabouts remain unknown.

In a statement, the network called on the RSF to disclose the fate of the prisoners and allow healthcare workers to carry out their duties without being targeted or subjected to violations.

The UN Human Rights Council is set to hold an emergency session on Friday to address the escalating crisis in El Obeid, as fears mount of an RSF assault leading to “large-scale atrocities”.

The United Kingdom, backed by Germany, the Netherlands and Ireland, submitted a formal request for an emergency debate, citing a “threat of potential escalation on the ground” and warning that “500,000 civilians are at risk of being targeted in large-scale atrocities”.

The UN Human Rights Office warned on 18 June that an “imminent offensive risked fresh commission of serious international crimes and deepening the catastrophic impact on an already beleaguered civilian population,” and two days later the UN Security Council issued its own warning of an “imminent risk of mass atrocities”.

UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk said, “We have seen this playbook before. We know where it led then, and cannot now allow a repeat of the preventable atrocities we documented in El Fasher and Zamzam IDP camp in North Darfur last year,” linking the risk to trapped civilians in North Kordofan.

The Human Rights Council’s bureau met on Tuesday to consider the proposal and suggested holding the meeting on Friday before the UN body enters deliberations on some 23 draft resolutions at the end of the week.