Paramilitary forces are launching “relentless” drone strikes in El Obeid, according to UN human rights chief Volker Türk. The attacks target the strategically-important town in Sudan as militias attempt to advance, escalating a conflict.
The siege of El Obeid is a fight for the interior. For the people living there, this manifests as a constant, humming threat from the sky.
Why is El Obeid the primary target for drone warfare?
The shift toward drone technology allows militias to strike with precision and frequency. Volker Türk warned on Friday that these attacks are creating a climate of pervasive fear.
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has altered the risk profile for Sudanese civilians. Drones are being used for “targeted” terror. Volker Türk warned on Friday that these attacks are creating a climate of pervasive fear, making the delivery of humanitarian aid nearly impossible.
In Sudan, this means that even those hiding in reinforced basements are no longer safe from the “relentless” nature of the aerial campaign.
How does the drone campaign impact Sudan’s food security?
The violence in El Obeid is triggering a localized famine. When drones patrol the skies, farmers stop planting and markets shut down.
When militias target the infrastructure of El Obeid, they aren’t just hitting military targets. The closure of roads due to drone activity prevents the transport of sorghum and other staples from the fields to the cities.
The result is a population trapped between a blockade on the ground and a predator in the air.
What are the international legal implications of these strikes?
The “relentless” nature of the strikes described by Volker Türk suggests a potential pattern of war crimes. Under international humanitarian law, the principle of distinction requires combatants to distinguish between military targets and civilians.
The international community remains largely paralyzed, but the documentation provided by the UN human rights office is critical for future prosecutions.
The current campaign in El Obeid adds a new layer of evidence to the ongoing atrocities, suggesting that the paramilitary forces are applying a blueprint of displacement across the country.
What happens if El Obeid falls?
If the paramilitary forces successfully seize El Obeid, it would likely lead to a collapse of state authority, leaving millions of civilians at the mercy of militia rule.
The fall of the city would also signal the end of any viable humanitarian corridor. With the drones controlling the airspace and the militias controlling the roads, the “relentless” attacks would shift from a siege tactic to a governance tool.
The tragedy of El Obeid is that it is a microcosm of the broader Sudanese war: a struggle for power where technology is used to inflict suffering. The world is watching a city be dismantled from the air, one drone strike at a time.
Does the international community’s failure to regulate drone proliferation make these “relentless” attacks inevitable in failing states? Share your thoughts on how global arms controls could prevent the next El Obeid.
