Khartoum – Sudan Now
A Sudanese civil group representing communities in the Nuba Mountains warned of what it described as possible war crimes and large-scale abuses against civilians from the Otoro community in the Kauda area amid rising military tensions in the region.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Civil Movement of the Nuba Mountains People said forces affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu had deployed military reinforcements and heavy weapons near Kauda, including in the town of Heiban.
The group alleged that artillery shelling targeted several villages and civilian areas, including Kambara, Karandi, Kajama and Al-Nusra district.
The allegations come amid growing tensions in Kauda and surrounding areas following reports of internal divisions and accusations related to attacks against civilians from the Otoro community.
The statement said civilians fled to mountains and caves after what the group described as the burning of homes, warning of worsening humanitarian conditions if military operations continue.
The group also accused fighters arriving from the Al-Jaw area, whom it said numbered around 500 and were equipped with heavy, medium and light weapons, of looting civilian property and livestock after residents fled the clashes.
The Nuba Mountains region has witnessed intermittent conflict for years amid fighting between the SPLM-North and successive Sudanese governments, while the security situation has become more complex since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The movement called on the United Nations, the African Union and international humanitarian organizations to urgently intervene to protect civilians and establish safe corridors for aid delivery.
It also said its legal committee would begin documenting what it described as violations and crimes in preparation for submissions to international legal and human rights bodies.
