The European Union, in a statement delivered at the UN Human Rights Council on 3 July 2026, warned that civilians in El Obeid, North Kordofan, face an imminent risk of mass atrocities as the Rapid Support Forces prepare a ground and air offensive. The EU urged the RSF to halt the assault immediately and called on all parties to cease hostilities and respect international humanitarian law, stressing that attacks on civilians and infrastructure may amount to war crimes.
The statement was delivered during an urgent debate on the human rights situation in and around El Obeid, convened amid the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The EU noted that after more than 18 months of siege-like conditions, civilians now face an offensive by the RSF. The bloc referenced warnings from the UN High Commissioner and the Security Council about the risk of mass atrocities, and cited patterns documented by the Human Rights Council's Fact-Finding Mission in El Fasher and Zamzam camp, including extrajudicial executions, ethnically targeted killings, abductions, and sexual violence. The EU urged that these patterns not be repeated in El Obeid.
The EU placed primary responsibility for the war on the leadership of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, as well as their affiliated militias and external backers. It called on all external actors supplying weapons or other support to cease immediately, in line with the Berlin Principles for Sudan. The EU also said it will continue to advocate for expanding the International Criminal Court's mandate and the UN arms embargo to the whole of Sudan.
On its own actions, the EU highlighted its work with Quintet partners (African Union, UN, IGAD, League of Arab States) to advance an immediate ceasefire and an inclusive political process, building on the Joint Call adopted in Berlin. At the Sudan Conference in Berlin in April, the EU and its member states pledged EUR 812 million, over half of the EUR 1.5 billion mobilised by international donors. The EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa is pursuing work on protecting critical infrastructure. The EU has imposed restrictive measures targeting those responsible for violations and undermining stability, and has agreed to expand sanctions to those profiting from the war. It reaffirmed support for the Fact-Finding Mission and the ICC to end impunity.
The statement concluded with a call for states with influence to act, asserting that El Obeid must not become another El Fasher, and Kordofan must not become another Darfur. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.