‘The situation is terrible’: aid workers on life in Sudanese city pummelled by drone strikes

Displaced women and children find a place of rest in El Obeid, which is home to about 100,000 refugees. Photograph: El Tayeb Siddig/Reuters View image in fullscreen Displaced women and children find a place of rest in El Obeid, which is home to about 100,000 refugees. Photograph: El Tayeb Siddig/Reuters ‘The situation is terrible’: aid workers on life in Sudanese city pummelled by drone strikes El Obeid becomes key battleground in war between Sudan’s armed forces and their paramilitary enemies, the RSF Fatima is losing count of the number of drone attacks on the besieged city of El Obeid in Sudan , but says the attacks this past weekend were the most violent so far. The drones hit schools and fuel stations, killing more than 20 people, including students, she says. “Over the past few months, seeing 40 or 45 drones is the norm. You can literally count them,” said the aid volunteer, whose name has been changed for fear of retribution. El Obeid, a city of half a million people, is a key battleground in the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Attacks mounted by the RSF have prompted the UN and other agencies to warn of the risk of atrocities. Located between RSF-held areas in the western Darfur region and army-controlled regions in the east, El Obeid has suffered repeated drone strikes on its infrastructure. The army is fighting to stop the paramilitary group setting up another blockade after a siege in February last year. At least 45 people were killed and 41 injured in 15 drone strikes in the city and surrounding areas from 6 June to 28 June, according to the UN human rights office. There are growing fears of a repeat of the massacre in the city of El Fasher last year, when RSF fighters went on a rampage after capturing the city at the end of an 18-month siege. View image in fullscreen Tents display the logo of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at a displaced persons camp in El Obeid. Photograph: El Tayeb Siddig/Reuters Amnesty International released a report on Wednesday saying the RSF had committed ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in its campaign to capture El Fasher. An independent factfinding mission for the UN had already said the RSF’s seizure of the city showed the “ hallmarks of genocide ” against non-Arab communities. On Friday, Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, addressed delegates in Geneva during an urgent debate called by the UK and backed by Germany, Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands. He said: “The ‌signs from El Obeid are ‌clear and unmistakable: another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan. . “This is not a drill. It is a red alert that needs to land on the desks of heads of state and government around the world. Their phones should be running hot in the coming days and weeks, with ideas on how to prevent atrocity crimes in El Obeid and in other places in Kordofan.” El Obeid hosts an SAF infantry division and an airbase, in addition