G7 urges Sudan forces to halt atrocities near El-Obeid

El-Obeid came under near-daily drone attacks and mounting civilian displacement as the Group of Seven and the European Union’s top foreign policy official pressed Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces and allied armed groups to stop actions that could trigger further atrocities. The joint statement, issued July 14, also called on the Sudanese army and all other parties to halt hostilities, protect civilians, allow humanitarian access and enter good-faith talks.

G7 ministers urged the UN Security Council to expand the Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan and called on outside actors to stop supplying military and financial backing to the warring sides.

El-Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, sits on a key transport corridor that gives the city outsized military and humanitarian importance. Volker Türk, the UN human rights chief, warned July 3 that the city was facing a looming human-rights catastrophe. The UN said around half a million civilians were at grave risk of large-scale atrocities in and around the city. The city had been under siege-like conditions for about 18 months.

On July 7, Save the Children said more than 5,500 children were among 11,000 people newly displaced in and around El-Obeid over the previous two weeks. UNFPA said July 6 that drone attacks had intensified to near-daily strikes hitting power substations, fuel stations, water facilities and health infrastructure, making aid delivery and basic services increasingly fragile. On July 10, tens of thousands of newly displaced people were still arriving in El-Obeid despite a tightening blockade and frequent drone strikes.

Around 13.6 million people were displaced in January 2026 and nearly 14 million by April. UN agencies estimate that 33.7 million people need humanitarian assistance this year, 21 million face acute food insecurity and more than one-third of health facilities are non-functional. The Darfur embargo the G7 wants widened dates to 2004, was renewed in September 2025, and is now set to remain in force until September 12, 2026.