Lead

Repeated drone strikes on the Sudanese city of El Obeid have killed and injured civilians this week, damaged key infrastructure and deepened shortages of fuel, water and bread, while fighting continues across North Darfur, displacing thousands of people, according to two reports carried by AllAfrica.

The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) warned on Monday that escalating violence in and around the city is putting civilians at increased risk and disrupting essential services. The warning comes amid ongoing reports of a significant build-up of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the North Kordofan state capital, with the UN Security Council expressing concern on Saturday over "the imminent risk of mass atrocities."

Coverage Comparison

The two reports — both published by AllAfrica, which aggregates content from African media — focus on overlapping but distinct aspects of the crisis. One report, drawing on eyewitness accounts, details the humanitarian impact of the drone strikes on daily life in El Obeid, including civilian casualties, infrastructure damage, and soaring prices for fuel and bread. The other, based on UN statements, emphasizes the broader humanitarian warning from OCHA and the UN Security Council's concern, and also includes updates on a cholera outbreak in West Kordofan.

Both reports attribute the violence to the ongoing conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, which have been at war for more than three years.

Key Claims

  • Drone strikes on El Obeid have killed and injured civilians, damaged key infrastructure, and deepened shortages of fuel, water, and bread.
  • Eight pupils at El Jeel El Raed Private Girls' School in El Obeid were injured when rocket fragments from a drone strike fell on the school on Friday.
  • Other strikes hit fuel stations and areas near Yathrib School and Dar El Fikr School, injuring several schoolgirls who were taken to Tabyan Specialist Hospital.
  • A strike near the Women's and Maternity Hospital and on sewage tankers suspected of transporting fuel reportedly killed three people.
  • The attacks disrupted fuel supplies, sending black market prices soaring: a gallon of petrol reportedly sold for between SDG150,000 and SDG160,000, while diesel cost between SDG75,000 and SDG90,000 per gallon.
  • The fuel shortage has driven up transport fares and reduced public transport services, forcing many residents to rely on tuk-tuks.
  • Rising fuel costs disrupted bakery operations, pushing bread prices to three or four loaves for SDG1,000, depending on the neighbourhood.
  • Heavy rainfall on Thursday evening brought temporary relief after days of severe water shortages; residents collected rainwater as water prices reached unprecedented levels.
  • OCHA said that between Thursday and Sunday, drone attacks reportedly targeted multiple locations in El Obeid, including a power substation and a fuel station, forcing the closure of several medical facilities, including a dialysis centre, and causing the shutdown of water stations.
  • On Sunday, two key bridges south of Um Ruwaba were reportedly targeted by drones, along a main road to South Kordofan state, though humanitarian partners reported movement there remained possible.
  • Multiple drone attacks were also reported on Sunday along a key highway in Ar Rahad, southeast of El Obeid.
  • A cholera outbreak in West Kordofan state has worsened, with 700 cases and 60 associated deaths as of 16 June, including 100 cases and 10 deaths since the start of a more recent period.
  • Fighting continues across North Darfur, displacing thousands of people; the Joint Forces recaptured Abu Gamra in Karnoi locality, North Darfur.
  • Drone strikes have also been reported in other parts of Sudan, including North Darfur and White Nile states, causing civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.

Perspectives

UN and international bodies

OCHA warns that escalating violence in El Obeid is putting civilians at increased risk and disrupting essential services. The UN Security Council expressed concern over the "imminent risk of mass atrocities" in the area.

Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

The RSF is reported to be significantly building up its presence in the North Kordofan capital, and is a party to the conflict. The reports attribute drone strikes and ongoing fighting to the conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, but do not present a direct statement from the RSF.

Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)

The SAF is the other principal party in the conflict, described as having been at war with the RSF for more than three years. The reports do not include a direct statement from the SAF.

Local residents and eyewitnesses

Residents of El Obeid describe daily drone attacks, widespread fear, and the practical impacts on their lives, including injuries to schoolchildren, fuel shortages, and soaring prices for basic goods. Local sources also report bridge and highway attacks.

Medical and humanitarian actors

The Sudan Doctors Network, a local medical group, reported that a dialysis centre was forced to close due to the attacks. OCHA and humanitarian partners monitor access and report on the humanitarian situation.