UN envoy urges RSF commander to halt escalation around Sudan’s El Obeid
June 19, 2026 (UNITED NATIONS) – The United Nations personal envoy for Sudan called on the commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday to urgently de-escalate military operations around the city of El Obeid, a UN spokesperson said.
The envoy, Pekka Haavisto, spoke directly with RSF Commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, following intensified drone strikes and a total power blackout in the North Kordofan state capital.
Haavisto urged the paramilitary leader to avoid actions that would worsen the dire humanitarian situation and endanger civilians, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters at a briefing in New York. The envoy stressed that the warring parties must shift their focus toward dialogue to end the conflict.
The UN added that Haavisto is engaging with international partners who hold influence over the warring factions to reinforce the urgency of preventing a full-scale assault on the strategically vital city.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also issued a stark warning from Geneva regarding the massive RSF troop build-up, stating that an imminent offensive risks the commission of serious international crimes against a population already strangled by siege-like conditions for over 18 months.
Türk warned that based on patterns documented during previous RSF offensives, the risk of summary executions, abductions, arbitrary detentions, and sexual violence remains exceptionally high if the military escalation is not halted.
The world body drew parallels to the devastating warfare seen in North Darfur, warning that the international community must not allow the horrors of El Fasher and the Zamzam displacement camp to be repeated in El Obeid.
Despite reports of continued overnight drone strikes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the area remains accessible.
Aid agencies are currently focusing on moving food and other vital supplies into El Obeid while preparing contingency plans for the potential displacement of large numbers of people in the immediate area.
While the UN does not maintain a permanent presence in El Obeid, Dujarric said humanitarian partners, including the World Food Programme, continue to operate on the ground to deliver assistance to residents and more than 100,000 displaced people sheltered in the city.