On 26 June 2026, at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, Ambassador James Kariuki, the UK's Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, used a statement on Sudan to set out a three-part UK position on El Obeid. In the transcript published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on GOV.UK, the government described immediate and escalating risks to civilians and said the Rapid Support Forces should halt their assault on the city. (gov.uk)
The first element of the UK position was civilian protection. Kariuki said civilians must be protected and able to leave El Obeid, referring back to the Council's call of 20 June 2026. The statement placed a direct demand on the Rapid Support Forces to stop the assault, while also saying that all parties, including the Sudanese Armed Forces, should ensure civilians can leave and must comply with their obligations under international law. (gov.uk)
The language then moved into atrocity-prevention terms. According to the published transcript, the UK is concerned about the risk of large-scale atrocities as civilians face tighter movement restrictions, worsening access to essential services and the threat of intensified violence, including drone strikes and attacks on critical infrastructure. The statement also said the Foreign Secretary had warned that El Obeid was close to an atrocity that would deepen the damage already inflicted on Sudan in El Fasher. (gov.uk)
Humanitarian access formed the second part of the intervention. The UK said aid organisations must be able to operate safely and without obstruction, with rapid and unhindered access as well as the security guarantees needed to deliver lifesaving assistance. It also said attacks on humanitarian personnel are unacceptable and warned that, without urgent action, even civilians who manage to leave the city may still be unable to obtain the aid they need. (gov.uk)
The third part of the statement set out the UK's diplomatic line. Kariuki told the Council that the conflict cannot be resolved by military means and that developments in El Obeid show the need to halt the fighting and create space for a political pathway. The UK said it supports work towards a humanitarian truce, presenting that as the most credible immediate route to reducing harm and allowing progress. (gov.uk)
The statement also addressed the role of external actors. The UK commended US efforts, including those of Senior Advisor Boulos, and the de-escalation work of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Mr Haavisto. At the same time, it argued that outside support continues to sustain the conflict and called on those fuelling the war to stop, while urging states with influence to use it now to avoid further bloodshed. (gov.uk)
Read as a policy intervention, the speech groups the UK's position around three immediate tests: safe civilian exit, protected humanitarian delivery and a truce that can open political talks. That is an analytical reading of the statement rather than a separate government formula, but it reflects how the intervention moves from legal duties, to aid access, to diplomacy, while keeping the operational focus on preventing further civilian harm in El Obeid. (gov.uk)