Kadugli – Sudan Now | May 13, 2026
The Sudan Doctors Network said that more than 61 people were killed in and around the city of Kauda in South Kordofan State, including nine children and five women, as a result of ongoing clashes between forces of the SPLM-N led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu and groups from the “Otoro” tribe, according to testimonies from survivors.
In a statement, the network expressed its “deep concern” over what it described as escalating violations against civilians over the past two weeks, noting that testimonies it received included allegations of extrajudicial killings, slaughtering, the burning of homes and shops, and the looting of property.
The network said its teams heard accounts from survivors in South Kordofan describing the direct and “indiscriminate” targeting of civilians, which triggered a large wave of displacement and widespread fear among residents.
The statement added that villages and areas surrounding Kauda were subjected to burning operations and restrictions imposed on civilians, amid the absence of safe corridors for evacuating the wounded or delivering humanitarian aid, leading to a severe deterioration in humanitarian and health conditions.
The Sudan Doctors Network held the leadership of the SPLM-N responsible for the violations it said were committed against civilians in Kauda and its surrounding areas, calling for the urgent opening of humanitarian corridors to evacuate the wounded, women, and children.
The network also called on regional and international human rights and humanitarian organizations to intervene immediately to protect civilians and investigate the violations linked to the ongoing events in the area.
Areas surrounding Kauda have witnessed internal clashes for weeks between factions of the SPLA-N, against the backdrop of disputes related to land and border demarcation between local communities. The SPLM-N has acknowledged the clashes and accused a group of officers affiliated with the “Otoro” component of rebelling against its leadership.
