KAUDA – A civil group representing people from Sudan’s Nuba Mountains said it supports any serious initiative to stop fighting and protect civilians in Kauda, but rejected the entry of forces allied with Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, into the area under any name or mandate.
The Civil Movement of the Nuba Mountains People said in a statement on Sunday that it was following with caution reports of an initiative aimed at ending fighting in Kauda between members of the Atoro community and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu.
The group said it supports dialogue, civilian protection and efforts to address the roots of the conflict, but warned against using peace initiatives to pass political or military agendas or reshape the situation in Kauda in ways that do not reflect the will of local residents.
It accused the SPLM-N of being a main party to the conflict and said any peace initiative should not give one side the right to define the solution or speak on behalf of all communities in the area.
The civil movement said it categorically rejects the entry of forces allied with the RSF, or what it described as “Tasis forces,” into Kauda. It said changing names does not change the nature of any armed group if it is linked, in its words, to the Janjaweed.
The statement said bringing armed groups with records of alleged abuses into an area already suffering from conflict would not lead to peace, but would instead threaten civilian security and stability. It rejected their entry into Kauda under any label, including peacekeeping or civilian protection.
The statement comes amid rising tensions in SPLM-N-controlled areas of South Kordofan, where fighting between the movement and Atoro-linked groups has caused displacement, civilian casualties and competing claims over responsibility for abuses.
The SPLM-N has said the crisis is linked to armed mutiny, security violations and land disputes, and has denied targeting the Atoro community as a whole. Atoro leaders and local groups reject that account, accusing the movement of trying to impose control over their lands by force and linking the dispute to control of gold-rich areas. Sudan Now could not independently verify the competing claims.
The civil group said any solution for Kauda must be based on the will of its residents, particularly the Atoro community, whom it described as direct stakeholders in the conflict.
It also said it had followed speeches and positions expressed during a peaceful march in Kauda, which it said some SPLM-N members and Janjaweed-linked actors had promoted as a rally in support of them. The group said the statements made by participants showed the need to listen to local residents and respect their position.
The group said stopping bloodshed must not mean impunity, adding that sustainable peace cannot be built by ignoring victims’ rights.
It called for an independent and neutral fact-finding committee to investigate all alleged violations and crimes committed against the Atoro community, collect evidence and testimonies, and identify those responsible.
It also called for anyone found responsible to be referred to independent courts and tried according to law and fair-trial standards, without exceptions or immunity.
The statement criticized what it described as attempts to present militia leaders as peace champions or protectors of civilians, saying political rebranding does not erase records of alleged abuses or exempt commanders from accountability.
It referred to alleged violations linked to forces commanded by militia leaders in areas including El Geneina, Khartoum, Gezira, El Fasher, Dilling and Habila.
The civil movement urged the United Nations, African Union, IGAD, European Union, the United Kingdom and international organizations to independently monitor developments in Kauda.
It called for guarantees that any peace initiative does not become a cover for bringing militias or armed forces rejected by local residents into the area. It also urged support for local dialogue, civilian protection, independent investigations and accountability.
The group said its position is based on support for peace, dialogue, civilian protection, justice and accountability, while rejecting the use of peace initiatives to impose political or military agendas, bring Janjaweed-linked forces into Kauda under any name, or speak on behalf of the Atoro people without their consent.
