Human Rights Situation in and Around El Obeid, in the Context of the Ongoing Conflict in the Sudan

A/HRC/RES/62/1View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 1 Organizational and procedural matters, published in 2026.

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 subjects

Civilian Persons Commissions of Inquiry Human Rights Human Rights in Armed Conflicts Humanitarian Assistance Internal Security Sudan

What’s in this document?

18 operative paragraphs

Strongly condemns the escalating violence committed by the Rapid Support Forces and their associated and allied forces in and around El Obeid following 18 months of siege-like conditions, which have had a serious impact on civilian access to basic services and resulted in loss of civilian lives;²

²Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Sudan: imminent offensive on El Obeid must be halted – Türk warns of catastrophic impact on civilians”, press release, OHCHR, 18 June 2026.

Expresses deep concern about the imminent risk of large-scale atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces, including conflict-related sexual violence faced by hundreds of thousands of civilians, including children, and internally displaced persons in and around El Obeid;

Condemns airstrikes on civilians and unlawful targeting of civilian infrastructure, particularly in the Kordofans, including reports of dozens of drone strikes on El Obeid in the last two weeks, including on hospitals and health facilities, leading to loss of civilian lives and civilian access to basic services;

Also condemns attacks on humanitarian convoys, including drone attacks on a World Food Programme convoy in February 2026³ and the death of a Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer in June 2026,⁴ resulting in civilian deaths and the destruction of essential food aid, and reiterates that humanitarian personnel, assets and supplies must be protected at all times in accordance with international humanitarian law;

³United Nations, “Attack on aid trucks transporting food in North Kordofan”, press release, 6 February 2026.

⁴International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, “Statement: IFRC appalled by the killing of Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer in North Kordofan”, 13 June 2026.

Further condemns the widespread use of rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence as a method of warfare, including in detention and as a method of torture, including in North Kordofan;

Expresses alarm at reports of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, including restrictions on food and aid convoys and the targeting of fuel and water infrastructure, resulting in severe food and water shortages in and around El Obeid, and calls upon all parties to allow and facilitate rapid, full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need throughout the Sudan, including a rapid scale-up of cross border and cross-line delivery, and to provide necessary security guarantees for humanitarian actors to operate safely in and around El Obeid;

Reiterates its call for the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, calls for a humanitarian truce that should lead to an immediate ceasefire, and calls upon all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians, as required under international law, including by ensuring that all parties to the conflict provide the safe and voluntary movement of civilians who have been repeatedly forced to flee violence to safer areas;

Commends Sudanese and regional relief aid and medical workers and local responders, including local actors and mutual aid groups, operating in North Kordofan and other areas of the Sudan for their bravery and work in challenging and dangerous circumstances to provide life-saving support to communities, and calls for their protection as required by international law;

Encourages the international community to scale up financial and logistical support to neighbouring countries hosting refugees and displaced persons from the Sudan;

Commends the vital role played by Sudanese human rights defenders and other local actors operating in and around El Obeid and other areas of the Sudan for their work to document and preserve evidence of violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights, and calls upon all parties to ensure their protection;

Emphasizes that there is no military solution to the crisis in the Sudan, and reiterates its call for an immediate and complete ceasefire by all parties, without preconditions, the establishment of an independent monitoring mechanism of the ceasefire, the rehabilitation of critical basic infrastructure, a negotiated and peaceful resolution to the conflict on the basis of inclusive, Sudan-owned and Sudan-led dialogue, with the active participation of Sudanese civilian actors, including women and youth, and the establishment, with the people of the Sudan, of a credible and inclusive process of political transition, towards a democratically elected national government following a civilian-led transition period, in line with the Berlin Principles for Sudan and the Joint Call to End the War and Advance a Sudanese-Owned Political Process, adopted following the Sudan Conference in Berlin in April 2026;

Condemns all forms of external interference that fuel the conflict, including the supply of arms and military material, and reminds all parties to the conflict, as well as external actors, both States and other entities, of their obligation to respect and comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, including the arms embargo established pursuant to resolution 1556 (2004) of 30 July 2004, applicable to Darfur;

Urges all parties and States to respect and uphold the unity and territorial integrity of the Sudan, and to reject the establishment of a parallel governing authority in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces;

Reiterates its strong condemnation of the continuing armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and their respective associated and allied forces, all reported violations of international humanitarian law and all reported violations and abuses of international human rights law committed in this context, including alleged war crimes by all parties and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces;

Stresses, once again, that ensuring accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights is central to any solution to the ongoing crisis in the Sudan, and underscores the urgency of independent and credible investigations into all alleged abuses and violations by all parties to the conflict, to end impunity and hold accountable those responsible through robust and credible criminal justice processes, while acknowledging the important role that the International Criminal Court can play in this regard;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to present an oral update to the Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in and around El Obeid in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Sudan before the end of its sixty-third session;

Requests the independent international fact-finding mission for the Sudan to conduct, within its existing resources, an urgent inquiry into any violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law and related international crimes, allegedly committed in and around El Obeid in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Sudan, and encourages the fact-finding mission to update the Human Rights Council on this inquiry during the interactive dialogue at its sixty-third session and to update the General Assembly during the interactive dialogue at its eighty-first session;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents