South Kordofan

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Over the past three months, the Sudanese state of South Kordofan, situated East of Darfur and sharing its southern border with the newly-formed state of South Sudan, has become the scene of violence between Government forces and the SPLA South Kordofan sector. However, several international organisations have pointed out the consequences on local civilians, who suffer from repeated attacks from Government forces in the Nuba Mountains area. Aerial attacks and bombings of the area have been especially highlighted.

Ongoing fights, no signs of restraints

The last war had ended in Kordofan in 2002 with the Bürgenstock Ceasefire. Large parts of the state, however -particularly the Nuba Mountains -remained under the control of SPLA forces led by the former deputy governor Abdelaziz Al Hilu. In the state’s elections last May, Al Hilu lost a bid for the governorship against Ahmed Harun. Al Hilu claimed the elections Freudulent and his party refused to recognize the outcome.

Recent efforts by government troops to disarm Nuban fighters may have precipitated the gunfights that began in Kadugli in the beginning of June. As fighting raged in the state capital, particularly around the residence of Al Hilu, skirmishes began to break out elsewhere as well, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) brought heavier armaments into the contest, such as tanks and aerial bombing raids.

As the fightings spread in Kordofan, neither side in the conflict called for restraint. Abdelaziz Al Hilu, announced to the London-based newspaper Al Sharq Al Awsat that he intends to fight. He described his rebellion as an effort to overthrow the National Congress Party. (NCP) “We will not go back to dialogue with them again because they betrayed an accord we reached a few days ago and assassinated SPLA who were working as part of joint units,” he said.

In turn, government leaders announced efforts to crush the rebellion. Governor Ahmed Harun vowed to punish Al Hilu for leading “a rebellion against the state.” President Omar Al Bashir was quoted by the official news agency as saying "the situation in South Kordofan is under the control of the SAF which is now clearing the state of the remaining rebels."

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"Dramatic" humanitarian situation

Several activists warned of a potential famine threat in the Nuba Mountains (South Kordofan). They revealed to Radio Dabanga that the authorities closed all the roads leading to SPLM-controlled areas, preventing both humanitarian and commercial convoys to access the zone. Mohamed Ali Tako, manager of the Talinq volunteer organisation, told Radio Dabanga that "women and children are climbing the mountains in an attempt to escape from the Air Force,” and furthermore explained that in Alhamra and Abu-Sugeifa, the stationed militias are committing massive human rights violations, including ethnically-targeted assassinations.

Bashir announced later his intention to exclude foreign humanitarian organisations from South Kordofan.

A victim of the Nuba Mountains aerial raids

Suspicions of ethnic killings and crimes against humanity

This allegation seems to be confirmed by the discovery of mass graves in the neighborhood of Kadugli by US-satellites in July 2011. According to witnesses,  bodies were removed from the market in Kadugli and from villages in the region, and dumped in these pits, not one kilometer from Tello village school. They furthermore said that Sudanese army troops and allied militias carried out “ethnic cleansing” in South Kordofan, allegedly targeting people of the Nuba tribes.

The United Nations released in August 2011 in an official report voicing its suspicions that the Sudanese government might have gone as far as committing crimes against humanity in South Kordofan. Reported violations included “extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and illegal detention, enforced disappearances, attacks against civilians, looting of civilian homes and destruction of property,” as well as massive displacement. The Sudanese government rejected the document as baseless and malicious.

For its part, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for the defense of human rights in South Kordofan, and pointed out the urgent need for an international presence on the ground in order to witness and stop the atrocities taking place in the region. "Tens of thousands of civilians in South Kordofan are in grave danger, and no one is on the ground to report on what is happening, much less do anything about it," HRW-Africa director Daniel Bekele said in a statement.

SPLM (North) chairman says ceasefire is just part of a scheme to launch massive attack on the region

Yasser Arman, chairperson of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-North), said in August 2011 that he was in possession of information confirming Bashir's intention to use the cease-fire in South Kordofan as a means of preparation of a large-scale-attack on the region. Bashir had announced earlier in a press conference that he wanted to ensure peace in South Kordofan to mark the end of the Holy month of Ramadan.