Seven European countries call for immediate halt to Sudan violence

Seven European countries have called for an immediate cessation of violence in Sudan, warning of rapidly deteriorating security conditions in the city of El-Obeid, which has been encircled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The RSF, which has been in conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, is reportedly preparing an offensive on the strategic city, raising fears of further escalation.

The appeal was issued in a joint statement released by the UK Foreign Office and signed by Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and Norway, according to AFP.

The countries expressed deep concern over the worsening situation and said credible indications point to an imminent attack on El-Obeid. They described the moment as "critical," urging urgent international action to protect civilians and prevent further deterioration of the conflict.

The statement also called on the RSF to immediately halt its military operations.

The Sudanese city of El-Obeid is a strategic hub in the southern Kordofan region. It has been encircled for months by the RSF. An UN official said on Tuesday that the city is only "weeks" away from a humanitarian disaster unless aid is urgently allowed in.

Mohamed Refaat, Sudan chief of mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said aid agencies, including the IOM, had intermittent access in recent months but have now suspended missions as insecurity worsens along key routes.

"If the siege is not lifted and if unconditional access for humanitarian aid is not allowed, within weeks, or at most one or two months, we will reach the same tragic levels we saw in El-Fasher," Refaat said. El-Fasher is the Darfur city that fell to the RSF last October after an 18-month siege marked by starvation and bombardment.

The UN has warned of a buildup of RSF forces around El-Obeid, raising fears that a ground offensive could be imminent. It has also warned of an "imminent risk of mass atrocities," urging the RSF to pull back.

According to media reports, near-daily drone strikes in recent days have targeted fuel stations, the main power facility and trucks carrying food and fuel.

The SAF has sought to fend off the advance, with a government source said that it had destroyed significant RSF equipment en route. But the fighting has done little to ease conditions for civilians.

Living conditions are deteriorating rapidly, Refaat said, with food prices soaring, water becoming increasingly unaffordable and medical supplies dwindling.

A 10-liter jerrycan of water now costs about 15,000 Sudanese pounds ($20), Refaat said, while food prices have risen by between 60% and 300% over the past two months, depending on the commodity.

If assistance is not allowed soon, Refaat warned, "this could lead to famine due to the siege."

Famine has already been declared in El-Fasher and in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, with 20 additional areas at risk, according to the UN. Since El-Fasher's fall, fighting has intensified across Kordofan, forcing more than 130,000 people to flee.

(With input from AFP)