European Group at the Human Rights Council: RSF Must End Their Siege of El Obeid
The British Foreign Office published today (Tuesday) the text of the statement delivered by the UK Ambassador for Human Rights, Eleanor Saunders, representing the position of the Core Sudan Group (comprising Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom) regarding the Sudan issue presented at last Friday’s session of the Human Rights Council, addressed by the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Mohi El-Din Salem.
According to the published statement, the group stressed the need for the Rapid Support Forces to end their siege of El Obeid. It also called for “guaranteeing unimpeded access for humanitarian aid by all warring parties.”
The statement emphasized that the escalation of drone strikes has resulted in civilian deaths and the destruction of civilian infrastructure in El Obeid. Key supply routes, fuel stations, and the electricity grid were also targeted. Some 500,000 civilians are at grave risk, exposed to the danger of atrocities that could further exacerbate the wounds already inflicted on Sudan.
The statement noted that just eight months ago, the Human Rights Council stood united in condemning the devastating wave of violence and displacement perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in El Fasher. Such atrocities must not be repeated.
“The RSF must end its siege of El Obeid. All parties to the conflict must immediately de-escalate, facilitate the safe and voluntary passage of civilians, and ensure rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access.”
The statement emphasized that ending impunity in Sudan is essential for achieving lasting peace.
It affirmed that the primary outcome of this resolution is the urgent investigation to be conducted by the UN Fact-Finding Mission. Its efforts to document and preserve evidence of any violations and abuses pave the way for justice. Without it, accountability will remain elusive, and the cycle of impunity will continue.
However, Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the Council, Ambassador Hassan Hamid, expressed his country’s reservations about sending a fact-finding mission to the region, while welcoming the condemnation of the Rapid Support Forces’ conduct toward civilians, infrastructure, and civilian objects.