A medical organization in Sudan reported that at least five civilians, including a child, were killed and multiple others wounded following an artillery bombardment of residential neighborhoods in the South Kordofan province. The Sudan Doctors Network attributed the attack to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), a breakaway faction of South Sudan’s governing party, in the town of Dilling. The organization characterized the bombardment as a violation of international humanitarian law and called for international intervention to halt such attacks.
In a separate statement released hours earlier, the same medical network documented an additional attack by SPLM-N forces in areas near Kauda, resulting in more than 21 deaths including women and children. The organization noted that these attacks appeared to target the Otoro, a minority ethnic group residing in the Nuba Mountains. Tensions in the region have been exacerbated by land disputes that sparked clashes earlier in the year, adding ethnic dimensions to Sudan’s broader civil conflict.
The attacks occurred despite a ceasefire initiative supported by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) the previous month. While the RSF backed the agreement, the SPLM-N’s al-Hilu faction did not commit to the arrangement. According to the medical network, SPLM-N forces launched assaults on at least 10 Otoro villages between August 20 and 26, displacing thousands of civilians from the region.
A United Nations-backed independent fact-finding mission reported that external involvement in Sudan’s conflict, including foreign supply chains, personnel, and military drones, continues to intensify violence against civilian populations. Since fighting erupted between the Sudanese military and the RSF in April 2023, the conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and displaced approximately 13 million people. The World Health Organization has reported that nearly 34 million Sudanese, representing about two-thirds of the nation’s population, require urgent humanitarian assistance.
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