Khartoum – Sudan Now
A civil group representing communities in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) of killing 26 civilians in Kauda and surrounding areas of South Kordofan and called for an independent investigation into the incident.
The legal committee of the Nuba Mountains Civil Movement said in a statement that violence reported on May 26 left at least 26 civilians dead, dozens injured and several others missing, according to preliminary information gathered from local sources and eyewitness accounts.
The committee said it had obtained initial lists of victims, injured civilians and missing persons and was working to verify and document the information before submitting a case file to human rights organizations and relevant international bodies.
The allegations come amid rising tensions in Kauda, Heiban and nearby areas of South Kordofan, where local groups have exchanged accusations over attacks on civilians and the displacement of residents from conflict-affected communities.
According to the committee, available information points to civilian deaths and injuries, as well as forced displacement and the destruction and burning of private property.
Local organizations and community groups have issued repeated warnings in recent days about deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions in the Nuba Mountains, raising concerns that continued violence could trigger further displacement and civilian suffering.
The committee said international humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians and forced displacement, adding that some of the reported acts could amount to war crimes if proven before competent judicial bodies.
It called for an immediate halt to hostilities, an independent and impartial investigation, access for humanitarian and human rights organizations to affected areas, clarification of the fate of missing persons and urgent medical assistance for the injured.
The Nuba Mountains region has experienced intermittent conflict for decades, while security concerns have intensified since the outbreak of Sudan’s wider war in April 2023, further complicating humanitarian access and civilian protection efforts in several parts of South Kordofan.
