Story perspectives

RSF Drone Attacks Kill Civilians, Cut Power, Displace Thousands

6/25/2026

Summary

RSF Drone Attacks

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched drone attacks on El-Obeid, killing civilians and cutting power.
Drone strikes on 10 June killed five mourners, bringing the death toll to at least 16 the following day.
A 14 June strike hit a petrol station and later bombed the main power station.
Over half a million people have fled to El-Obeid since April 2023.
UN agencies say more than 14 million people are displaced nationwide.

Summary

UN Demands Ceasefire

United Nations Security Council on 21 June 2026 demanded the RSF immediately stop its assault on El Obeid, warning of mass atrocities.
Refugees International director Daniel P. Sullivan said the United Arab Emirates supplied drones and Colombian mercenaries to the RSF for the El Obeid attacks.
The European Union (EU) and a coalition of 29 countries on 22 June 2026 called for an RSF ceasefire, civilian evacuations, humanitarian aid, and sanctions on RSF and UAE officials.

Summary

US Warns

U.S. officials warned that fighting around El Obeid could disrupt the highway and oil pipeline moving goods and South Sudan’s crude to Port Sudan.
El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, is projected to hold nearly 580,000 residents in 2026.
The statement urged a negotiated settlement, saying only peace can protect Sudan’s economic lifelines and avoid a deeper humanitarian crisis.

History

Historical Context

In 2015 Saudi Arabia led a coalition that began a drone campaign over Yemen, expanding the war’s use of unmanned weapons. The United Arab Emirates later supplied drones to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, which used them in El Obeid, prompting a UN Security Council rebuke in June 2026. Over 10,000 coalition troops operated in Yemen, showing how external drones have reshaped regional conflicts.

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RSF Drone Attacks

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched drone attacks on El-Obeid, killing civilians and cutting power.
Drone strikes on 10 June killed five mourners, bringing the death toll to at least 16 the following day.
A 14 June strike hit a petrol station and later bombed the main power station.
Over half a million people have fled to El-Obeid since April 2023.
UN agencies say more than 14 million people are displaced nationwide.

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