El Obeid: Why Sudan's Next Battleground Could Decide the War

As the RSF closes in on this Kordofan crossroads city, here's why its fall or survival could reshape Sudan's civil war.

International attention is increasingly fixed on Sudan, where chaos is ensuing in the city of El Obeid.

The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now in its fourth year, has increasingly expanded to the southern and eastern domains of the nation. Since the conflict’s beginning in 2023, over 150,000 deaths have been reported according to The New York Times, while the country has faced the collapse of both its economy and medical system.

A key turning point in the war occurred last October, when the RSF successfully expelled the SAF from the strategic position of El Fasher. The massacre that ensued saw over 6,000 deaths according to an OHCHR report, although some estimates place the figures far higher. Global concern is rising that a similar outcome may play out once more in El Obeid.

As such, this guide will explain the importance of El Obeid in the struggle between the SAF and RSF.