Sudan civil war: Civilians used as 'human shields'

What the report says

DW English reports that conditions are deteriorating in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, as Sudan’s civil war puts civilians under growing pressure. Footage published by the Sudanese outlet Ayin Network showed destroyed homes and the remains of a school, while rights and aid groups warned that drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have damaged civilian infrastructure including electricity facilities, water systems, schools, universities and hospitals.

Ahmed Awad of Plan International, who is from El Obeid, told DW the city is under siege and facing shortages of medicine, food and safe water. The city, once home to about half a million people, is now also sheltering several hundred thousand internally displaced people. Awad said a drone strike on a primary school killed three children, leaving many other children too frightened to attend classes.

El Obeid is strategically important because it sits on a major route between army-held Khartoum and Darfur, where the RSF controls large areas. DW reports that the Sudanese Armed Forces currently hold the city, with about 13,000 soldiers stationed there, while RSF forces are deployed roughly 30 kilometers outside it. Analysts, aid groups and the UN have warned that a further escalation could put many civilians at risk, drawing comparisons with the earlier siege and capture of El Fasher.

DW also cited Adam Mousa Eshag of the Darfur Victims Support Organization, who said Sudanese army troops had used schools and hospitals as barracks in El Obeid, as in El Fasher. He argued this exposed civilians to RSF attacks. Save the Children separately described severe trauma among displaced children affected by the fighting.