The situation in central Sudan remains tense, humanitarian crisis worsens.

Recently, the capital of North Kordofan State, El Obeid, located in central Sudan, has become a new focal point of conflict, with the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces engaging in intense firefights here. The international community is concerned that if the fighting escalates further, it could result in more civilian casualties.

Since the end of 2025, the fighting in the three states of the Kordofan region has significantly intensified, with the Rapid Support Forces controlling almost all of West Kordofan State and continuing to besiege the capitals of South and North Kordofan States.

El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, is an important hub connecting Sudan's capital Khartoum with the western region of Darfur, making its strategic position very significant. Since early June, the Rapid Support Forces have been continuously reinforcing their troops around the city and have launched fierce attacks on the urban area using artillery and drones, while the Sudanese Armed Forces, which control the city, have also repeatedly deployed fighter jets and drones to conduct airstrikes on the positions and military camps of the Rapid Support Forces in the surrounding areas.

According to statistics from Sudanese civil organizations, the clashes have resulted in at least 50 civilian deaths in the area, with water, electricity, and fuel supplies almost completely cut off, multiple medical centers forced to close, and the public service system nearing collapse.

The United Nations and the African Union have recently issued statements expressing concern over the escalation of the situation in the El Obeid area. They warned that there are approximately 500,000 civilians in the area, and if a larger-scale conflict breaks out, it could displace hundreds of thousands of people. They urged the warring parties to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further escalation of the conflict and to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid into the conflict zones.

On April 15, 2023, armed conflict broke out between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Forces in the capital Khartoum. The fighting then spread to other areas, and the ongoing armed conflict for more than three years has resulted in at least 59,000 deaths.