Sudan: UN Warns of Genocide Risk as Drone Attacks Ramp Up

The UN Human Rights Council held an emergency session on Monday over the risk of mass atrocities in and around El Obeid, a city in Sudan’s North Kordofan region. The session followed urgent appeals from rights groups, who urged the Council to act before, not after, a new wave of violence. The UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan reported a sharp rise in drone attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the area. The strikes have hit hospitals, markets, schools, and homes, killing civilians and cutting off essential services. These attacks mirror the pattern seen before the RSF’s assault on El Fasher, which the UN has said bore the “hallmarks of genocide.” During the session, several countries and UN officials called for an end to foreign military support for the RSF. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been repeatedly accused of backing the RSF, though no country was named directly. The UN Human Rights Office and the Fact-Finding Mission are now investigating the role of external actors and the war economy fueling the conflict. The UN High Commissioner urged closer scrutiny of “foreign players benefiting from the carnage.” A resolution is expected on Monday. It will urge all parties to stop attacks, end foreign support, and call for a UN inquiry into the situation in El Obeid. But UN officials say stronger action is needed. They are calling for a civilian protection mission, an expanded arms embargo, and broader sanctions against those responsible for war crimes. “The risk of further atrocities is clear,” the session concluded. “So are the steps the world must take now to stop them.”