South Kordofan clashes kill at least 21, including women and children

At least 21 people, including women and children, have been killed in clashes in southern Sudan, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The medical group reported on Friday that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) launched an attack on Thursday in the Debi and Luweri areas of Kauda town in South Kordofan.

The attack is part of ongoing hostilities between the SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, and the Otoro tribe, a minority group in the Nuba Mountains. The SPLM-N has aligned with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the broader conflict against the Sudanese military that began in 2023.

The violence comes despite a ceasefire initiative backed by the RSF last month. The Sudan Doctors Network stated that the attacks constitute a clear violation of the agreement and involve the targeting of civilians on an ethnic basis.

Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project indicates that SPLM-N forces attacked ten Otoro villages between August 20 and 26, displacing hundreds. The group also claimed in a video to have taken control of Kauda.

Sudan analyst Ali Mahmoud Ali warned that the latest clashes risk drawing more Nuba clans into the fight and deepening divisions across South Kordofan, a region already facing a dire humanitarian situation. The medical group has recorded at least 158 deaths since violence erupted in March over land disputes.