Sudan paramilitary attacks displace hundreds near El Obeid, sources say

August 20, 2026 (EL OBEID) – Attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages in Sudan’s North Kordofan state have killed six civilians and forced hundreds of people to flee to the state capital, security sources and a local official told Sudan Tribune on Thursday.

RSF fighters raided the villages of Um Dareisa and Al-Shaqla, roughly 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of El Obeid, on Wednesday afternoon, security sources said, adding that several residents were wounded and others remained missing.

More than 1,000 people from 215 families arrived in El Obeid on foot by midday Thursday, a North Kordofan state government official told Sudan Tribune, describing many of the displaced—including women, children, and the elderly—as arriving in critical condition after walking for dozens of kilometres.

The official accused RSF fighters of widespread abuses against villagers across the area in recent days, including unlawful killings, physical assaults, sexual violence, and forced displacement aimed at looting supplies at gunpoint.

The RSF could not immediately be reached for comment on the allegations.

The assault follows an attack last week on the town of Um Arda, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest of El Obeid, which left 18 people dead, 17 wounded, and displaced more than 300 families.

The fresh arrivals have intensified pressure on eight overcrowded camps in El Obeid that provide shelter and emergency food to more than 100,000 displaced people.

Across its camps and residential neighbourhoods, El Obeid currently hosts an estimated 1.3 million displaced persons, according to the North Kordofan Humanitarian Aid Commission.