Threats of Atrocities Around El Obeid by the Rapid Support Forces and Their Allied Forces

The United States is deeply concerned by reports that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied forces are massing forces around El Obeid, Sudan, in a manner that significantly increases the risk of violence against civilians, including attacks on civilian objects and further escalation of the conflict in El Obeid and across the Kordofan region. There are alarming indications that mass atrocities could be imminent, further worsening Sudan’s already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

The RSF and their allied forces must cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering. The belligerents must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure that those seeking safety can do so without fear or obstruction.

This war has exacted an intolerable toll on the Sudanese people. Civilians have borne the brunt of the violence and have suffered immensely from the devastation caused by this conflict. The United States calls on the belligerents to facilitate safe, rapid, and unhindered humanitarian access, uphold their responsibilities to protect civilians, and take immediate steps to prevent further atrocities.

There is no military solution to this conflict. The belligerents must pursue a negotiated settlement, without preconditions, that ends the violence and addresses the immense suffering of the Sudanese people. The United States will continue working with our international partners and Sudanese stakeholders to advance a humanitarian truce, secure unhindered humanitarian access, and support a pathway to a civilian transition and durable peace. Only through peace and stability can Sudan return to independent civilian-led governance, preserve its unity, and realize the aspirations of its people.