Kadugli – Sudan Now
The Civil Movement of the Nuba Mountains has called for the formation of an independent and impartial international investigation committee to examine the recent events in Dibei and Kauda in South Kordofan State, holding those responsible for managing security and military affairs accountable for protecting civilians and ensuring accountability for reported violations.
The call came in a statement issued by the movement in response to remarks by the Secretary-General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) regarding the recent violence in the Dibei and Kauda areas.
The movement said the SPLM-N statement amounted to a belated acknowledgment of the scale of the humanitarian crisis that forced large numbers of residents to flee into the mountains to escape the violence.
According to the statement, the events involved killings, looting and the burning of property, as well as attacks on civilian institutions, humanitarian organizations and markets. The movement argued that the situation had gone beyond a localized dispute and evolved into a broader humanitarian and security crisis.
The statement called for an immediate halt to military activities, unrestricted humanitarian access to affected communities and the facilitation of relief operations by humanitarian organizations.
It also urged authorities to disclose the fate of missing and detained persons, compensate those affected by the violence and support the reconstruction of damaged areas.
The movement criticized what it described as a climate of accusations and polarization surrounding the crisis, calling instead for a response based on justice, accountability, transparency and the rule of law.
The statement came after the SPLM-N acknowledged that deadly incidents and violations had occurred in Dibei and Kauda in Heiban County, South Kordofan, including killings and the looting of civilian and humanitarian facilities. The movement linked the violence to a dispute involving members of the Atoro and Shawaya communities.
The developments have raised growing concerns among local civil society groups and humanitarian actors over the humanitarian impact of the violence and the displacement of civilians in parts of South Kordofan.
