KHARTOUM – A legal committee affiliated with the Civil Movement of the Nuba Mountains People said it plans to refer an audio recording attributed to a Sudanese man living in the United Kingdom to British authorities, accusing the recording of inciting the killing and extermination of Atoro civilians in Kauda on ethnic grounds.

The committee said in a statement on Friday that an initial review of the recording and evidence related to the speaker’s identity had attributed it to Ramadan Al-Sanousi. It stressed that the attribution remains part of preliminary documentation, and that final criminal responsibility must be determined by investigative, prosecutorial and judicial authorities.

The committee said the content of the recording, according to its documentation, went beyond political or organizational disagreement and included calls to act against the Atoro tribe and target its members, including calls for their extermination and killing.

It said the remarks were linked to what the speaker allegedly described as a rebellion by members of the tribe against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N).

Sudan Now could not independently verify the authenticity of the recording, the identity of the speaker or the full context in which the remarks were allegedly made. Al-Sanousi could not immediately be reached for comment.

Legal Referral in Britain

The committee said political, military or organizational disputes cannot justify targeting civilians because of their ethnic or tribal identity.

It said that, if proven, such conduct would mark a shift from political disagreement to incitement to collective violence and hate speech.

The committee said it would ask British authorities to assess whether the recording and its circulation fall under several legal provisions, including parts of the Public Order Act 1986 related to stirring up racial hatred, and provisions of the Terrorism Act 2006 related to encouragement of terrorism.

It said it was not presuming that the recording necessarily meets the definition of a terrorism offense, but was seeking an independent legal assessment.

The committee said it would submit the recording and related evidence to British counterterrorism police and the relevant police authorities, and request that the file be assessed by the Crown Prosecution Service.

It noted that some offenses related to inciting racial hatred are subject to special procedural requirements before prosecution.

Preserving Evidence

The committee said it would preserve the original version of the recording without alteration, document its source, the date it was obtained and any available technical data.

It also said it would prepare an accurate transcript and certified translation if needed, and preserve links, accounts and messages connected to the recording’s publication.

The committee urged anyone in possession of the recording or related material not to edit, cut or reassemble it, and not to widely republish the alleged inciting content.

Instead, it called on people to preserve original copies and make them available to competent legal authorities.

Kauda Tensions

The statement comes amid rising tensions around Kauda in South Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains, where local Atoro representatives and civil groups have accused SPLM-N Al-Hilu forces of attacks, displacement and abuses against Atoro communities.

The SPLM-N Al-Hilu has previously denied targeting the Atoro community as a whole, saying its operations were directed against armed mutineers.

The dispute has intensified fears of wider communal violence in areas south and west of Kauda, including after reports of renewed fighting despite ceasefire efforts.

The Sudan Doctors Network recently said more than 21 people, including women and children, were killed and others injured in attacks on Debi and Luweri, areas inhabited by the Atoro community near Kauda. Sudan Now could not independently verify the reported death toll or the circumstances of those attacks.

Accountability Call

The legal committee said it would continue documenting and referring cases where credible evidence indicates incitement to kill civilians, collective violence, targeting of groups on ethnic or tribal grounds, or the stirring of racial hatred.

It said such action would apply regardless of the political, military or tribal affiliations of those involved.

The committee stressed that being outside Sudan or using social media does not necessarily prevent legal accountability where the elements of a crime exist under the relevant law.

It said it remains committed to documentation, investigation and judicial accountability, while rejecting revenge or counter-violence.