Sudan: Warnings mount over the risk of new mass atrocities

Lead

International warnings are intensifying over the imminent risk of mass atrocities in the Sudanese city of el-Obeid, as paramilitary forces encircle the strategically important urban center. The UN Security Council, along with several European countries and the United States, flagged the imminent threat this week, according to reporting by Deutsche Welle. The warnings come as increasing numbers of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) troops are deployed around the city, fueling fears of a major ground offensive.

Coverage Comparison

Deutsche Welle's reporting focuses on the humanitarian and strategic crisis in Sudan, with a consistently alarmist tone and a lead emphasizing the imminent risk of mass atrocities in el-Obeid. The coverage attributes the crisis to RSF aggression and, in one instance, to international inaction. The language used is active and includes direct quotes from experts and officials, underlining the severity of the situation.

A second Deutsche Welle article mirrors this framing, with similar emphasis on the threat to el-Obeid and RSF actions. Both pieces highlight the same core facts: the UN Security Council's warning, the deployment of RSF troops, the strategic importance of the city, the duration of the conflict, the scale of displacement, and the contested death toll.

The single-source nature of some claims, such as the accusation that the UAE supports the RSF, is noted, though Deutsche Welle does not provide a contrasting perspective in its main reporting.

Key Claims

• Imminent risk of mass atrocities in el-Obeid: The UN Security Council, several European countries, and the United States have all flagged "the imminent risk of mass atrocities" as RSF troops deploy around the city, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
• RSF troop deployment: The RSF has deployed increasing numbers of troops around el-Obeid, leading to speculation that the group is preparing a ground offensive to retake the city, which has been under Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) control since February 2025.
• Strategic importance of el-Obeid: The city, with a population of about 500,000, sits at the crossroads of central Sudan, Khartoum, and the western Darfur region, making it a key gateway for troop movements, military supplies, and humanitarian aid. It also hosts a large SAF military base and an airfield. "El-Obeid has been an important logistical hub for supply lines throughout its entire history," according to analyst Hager Ali.
• Duration of the war: The conflict began in April 2023, following a rift between the Sudanese Armed Forces' Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces' Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
• Displacement figures: More than 14 million people have been displaced within Sudan and neighboring countries, according to the UN, making it the world's largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.
• Death toll estimates: The estimated death toll ranges between 40,000 and 250,000 people, though reliable figures remain difficult to obtain due to ongoing fighting.
• Past accusations against the RSF: The RSF has been accused of mass atrocities in el-Fasher, another city in the region.
• UAE involvement accusations: The United Arab Emirates has been accused of supporting the RSF, an allegation that Deutsche Welle reported, though the UAE has denied any involvement in the war or support for the RSF.