Can Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces take control of el-Obeid?

For weeks, Sudan’s strategic city of el-Obeid has been targeted by intense attacks from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). They are some of the worst since the conflict began in 2023. Many analysts say that if the RSF can seize the city, it will strengthen its grip on western Sudan. It’s currently under the control of the Sudanese army, which is trying to hold off the RSF’s advance. But as the battle for the city escalates, hundreds of thousands of civilians are paying the price. Aid groups are warning of the risk of mass atrocities and a humanitarian catastrophe, as people caught up in the fighting are unable to flee. But why is the battle to control the city so important?