U.S. warns Rapid Support Forces against attacking Sudan’s El Obeid
June 22, 2026 (WASHINGTON) – The United States has warned the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against launching an attack on the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan state, amid growing concern over a mobilization of troops around the area.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Monday that Washington was gravely concerned by reports of the RSF and its allied forces massing around El Obeid, noting that it significantly increases the risk of violence against civilians.
“The United States is deeply alarmed by reports indicating that mass atrocities could be imminent around El Obeid in Sudan,” Pigott said. “We call on the Rapid Support Forces and their allied forces to immediately cease any actions that could endanger civilians, impede humanitarian assistance, or contribute to further atrocities and suffering.”
The mobilization coincides with an escalation in RSF drone strikes targeting critical infrastructure in El Obeid, including power and fuel stations, which have cut off electricity and disrupted drinking water supplies.
The statement warned that these actions threaten the lives of some 563,000 civilians and 105,000 displaced people in the strategic city, which connects central Sudan to Kordofan and the Darfur region.
Pigott reiterated that there is no military solution to the conflict, urging the warring parties to seek a negotiated settlement without preconditions.
Meanwhile, Massad Boulos, the U.S. presidential advisor on African and Arab affairs, held a phone call with RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan “Hemetti” Daglo.
Hemetti, who also heads the presidential council of the parallel “Tasis” coalition government, discussed the overall situation and humanitarian conditions in Sudan during the call.
According to a statement from the council, Hemetti told Boulos that civilian safety and the protection of humanitarian aid are top priorities and red lines that cannot be compromised.
Hemedti praised the U.S. administration’s efforts and its foreign policy focus on ending the war and restoring stability to Sudan.