The Sudan Doctors Network issued a statement accusing the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-N), a rebel faction aligned with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, of conducting deadly attacks in South Kordofan. The alleged killings claimed 27 lives, including four children, in the communities of Qardud and Abu Hamama, which are predominantly inhabited by the Otoro tribe. The attacks prompted significant civilian displacement toward the Abu Hitan area and Kadugli.
The medical organisation characterized the attacks as targeting unarmed civilians along ethnic lines and described the conduct as a violation of international humanitarian law. Officials warned that continued such incidents could intensify sectarian tensions and transform the regional conflict into a broader ethnic confrontation. The organisation noted that women were among those injured in the assault and called on the international community to pressure SPLM-N leadership to cease operations against non-combatants.
The violence represents an escalation of earlier tensions between SPLM-N-affiliated forces and the Otoro tribe, with prior clashes occurring earlier this year. The underlying disputes trace to disagreements over land rights in the Nuba Mountains region. The SPLM-N, which broke away from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement that governs South Sudan, has positioned itself within the broader conflict framework by aligning with RSF forces and participating in their parallel government structure.
These incidents occur within the context of Sudan’s wider civil conflict, which began in April 2023 between national military forces and the RSF. The ongoing war has resulted in approximately 59,000 deaths and displaced roughly 14 million people. The United Nations health agency estimates that approximately 33.7 million Sudanese citizens, representing about two-thirds of the population, require humanitarian support amid the ongoing crisis.
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