The Rapid Support Forces have subjected el-Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan state, to weeks of sustained drone strikes targeting electricity infrastructure, water facilities, fuel depots, and civilian supply routes, residents and analysts told Middle East Eye. The RSF, which is backed by the United Arab Emirates and besieges the city from the west, north, and south, has been striking at a rate of two to six drone attacks per day. The UN Human Rights Council convened an urgent debate on the situation in Sudan on Friday as the bombardment continued.
Almost 600,000 people are living in el-Obeid, including more than 105,000 who have fled violence and famine elsewhere in Sudan. The city is strategically vital — it sits at the intersection of several roads connecting Khartoum to the Kordofan and Darfur regions, the RSF’s stronghold in western Sudan. Losing it would significantly extend the RSF’s territorial corridor across the country.
“The suffering endured by the citizens of el-Obeid due to the war is beyond comprehension,” Abdullah, a lawyer in the city, told Middle East Eye. “Loss of life, hunger, and insecurity perfectly reflect the catastrophes caused by the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. These forces continue to bombard civilians, vital and strategic centres, service facilities, and the very foundations of life, aiming to displace citizens and force them from their lands and cities.”
The most damaging single strike came on June 18, when RSF drones hit the al-Abyad power substation — the primary electricity hub for el-Obeid. Abdullah said the bombing caused significant damage and resulted in city-wide power outages. “This blackout exacerbated existing crises, disrupting water supplies and forcing many hospitals to shut down,” he said.
Between May 25 and June 25, at least eight petrol stations in el-Obeid sustained targeted damage, according to satellite imagery analysed by Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab. The lab published a report confirming that the damage was “consistent with intentional bombardment of civilian infrastructure for the sustainment of life.” The same imagery showed that the Sudanese Armed Forces have established at least 14 checkpoints and a 51-kilometre network of defensive berms and trenches around the city.
With most fuel pumps now out of service — and the remainder shut down on the orders of military intelligence because of drone activity in the city’s airspace — the movement of goods along the national highway has been severely hampered. A four-gallon can of fuel now costs 800,000 Sudanese pounds, the equivalent of $1,332, according to a second source in el-Obeid who spoke to Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity. “The fuel shortage has led to a deterioration of the situation in the city, bringing public transportation to a standstill,” the source said.
Water prices have followed the same trajectory. The price of a barrel of water has quadrupled from 5,000 to 25,000 Sudanese pounds — the equivalent of between $8 and $41 at current exchange rates. Residents told Middle East Eye that the water now available is often brackish and unfit for drinking. Water tankers that previously transported potable water from sources outside the city can no longer operate because of drone attacks on the approach roads. Food, bread, and medicine have all risen sharply in price as cargo trucks on the national highway have been targeted and burned.
The RSF also struck the main market, food depots, and civilian homes. Parents in el-Obeid have stopped sending children to school regularly, rushing to collect them whenever strikes begin. Schools remain open, but attendance has collapsed.
Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, an advisor to Sudan’s army-backed Transitional Sovereignty Council, told Middle East Eye that the SAF retains control of the city and described that control as a critical barrier against a repeat of the violence seen elsewhere. “The RSF militia continues to target and kill civilians, while the government army continues to defend them,” he said. “At present, government control of el-Obeid is the only barrier preventing a repeat of the massacres witnessed in el-Fasher as the RSF advanced on the city.”
Abdullah said residents feel a contradiction in the army’s performance. “We feel as though the SAF is protecting us, but we also feel like it’s not enough. For a long time, we are seeing these drones that are bombing everywhere, and the army can’t do anything about it. People feel disappointed about that.” He added that civilians regularly ask soldiers directly why they cannot be protected from the drone campaign, and complain about the absence of air defence systems.
The role of the UAE in sustaining the RSF is openly discussed inside el-Obeid. The Emirates’ foreign ministry did not respond to Middle East Eye’s request for comment and continues to deny backing the paramilitary. “Everyone here knows that the UAE supports the RSF,” Abdullah said. International powers including the UK and US have issued warnings about the deteriorating situation in North Kordofan but have not publicly named the UAE’s role in arming and supplying the RSF.
“Were it not for the humanitarian organisations and the services they provide to the displaced people, the situation would have exploded long ago,” Abdullah told Middle East Eye. “The city and state governments are completely incapable of providing security and safety for the citizens, protecting them from the daily drone attacks.”
Background
Sudan’s war began on April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF in Khartoum and quickly spread across the country. El-Obeid became a contested city soon after, with the SAF’s 5th Infantry Division maintaining its headquarters there throughout the conflict. The RSF captured el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, in October 2025 after a prolonged siege, during which it committed rape, killings, and extortion on a mass scale. Amnesty International concluded that the RSF committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing in el-Fasher. A UN fact-finding report published in February 2026 concluded that the RSF committed genocide in el-Fasher against non-Arab groups. The US has formally designated the RSF’s actions as genocide and sanctioned RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The conflict has displaced more than 13 million people across Sudan and driven more than 19.5 million to the brink of famine, which the UN and EU describe as the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.
What Happens Next
The UN Human Rights Council’s urgent debate on Sudan, convened on July 4, is expected to result in calls for an independent investigation into atrocities committed by all parties. No international military intervention has been announced or formally proposed. The RSF’s fighters remain positioned in the surrounding countryside and in the town of Barah, approximately 30 kilometres north of el-Obeid, with the SAF’s defensive network of berms and checkpoints currently holding the perimeter. Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab said 700 new internally displaced persons’ tents became visible in el-Obeid’s main displacement camp in a single month, indicating that the city’s population and humanitarian strain continue to grow. Residents said food prices and fuel costs are expected to rise further if drone attacks on the national highway and cargo trucks continue.
