SOUTH KORDOFAN — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North claimed in a video that it took control of Kauda. Rebel leader Abdel Aziz al-Hilu has aligned his fighters with the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Al-Hilu’s group joined a local government set up by the Rapid Support Forces. Al-Hilu did not commit to the ceasefire agreement.

A ceasefire initiative backed by the Rapid Support Forces was launched last month. Al-Hilu’s forces launched attacks on 10 Otoro villages between Aug. 20 and 26.

Attacks on Otoro villages displaced hundreds of civilians. SPLM-N forces previously shelled Kauda with 120mm mortars and 23mm anti-aircraft guns in August 2026, displacing hundreds of civilians and violating a RSF-backed ceasefire.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North is a breakaway faction of the SPLM, the ruling party of neighboring South Sudan. South Kordofan is a state of Sudan.

Ali Mahmoud Ali said that the latest clashes risk bringing in more Nuba clans into the fight and could increase divisions across South Kordofan. Communities in South Kordofan are facing a dire humanitarian situation. The war between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military has killed at least 59,000 people. The war has displaced some 13 million people.

Timeline

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project has recorded the killings of at least 158 people since violence erupted in March over land disputes. Al-Hilu’s forces launched attacks on 10 Otoro villages between Aug.

20 and 26. The Sudan Doctors Network stated that the clashes in southern Sudan left at least 21 dead, including women and children, on Thursday, which corresponds to August 26, 2026, according to the report. [hcntimes.com](https://hcntimes.com/clashes-in-southern-sudan-leave-at-least-21-dead-medical-group-says/)

Thursday's attack was part of clashes that erupted between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North and the Otoro tribe. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North launched an attack on Thursday in the areas of Debi and Luweri in the town of Kauda in South Kordofan. The Sudan Doctors Network stated that attacks by al-Hilu’s forces “constitute a clear violation of the agreement, a resumption of hostilities, and the targeting of civilians on an ethnic basis.”

What's New

South Kordofan has experienced recurring intercommunal violence over land disputes since 2020, particularly involving gold mining territories between Nuba clans and SPLM-N factions. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been linked to historical aerial bombardments and scorched-earth campaigns against Nuba communities in the 2000s and 2010s, according to satellite and open-source investigations. The SPLM-N's 2023 land dispute with the Otoro tribe escalated into armed clashes after Otoro leaders rejected a boundary agreement approved by SPLM-N authorities, according to a June 2026 statement.

[hcntimes.com](https://hcntimes.com/clashes-in-southern-sudan-leave-at-least-21-dead-medical-group-says/) The RSF's 2023 war with the Sudanese military has displaced 13 million people and pushed parts of Sudan into famine, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North was established in 2011. South Kordofan is state of Sudan.

Why It Matters

The conflict in South Kordofan involves the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, a political party and militant organization based in the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. The group's armed forces are the Sudan People's Liberation Army–North. The war between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese military has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced some 13 million people.

The recent attacks constitute a violation of a ceasefire initiative backed by the Rapid Support Forces that was launched last month. The Sudan Doctors Network stated that the attacks target civilians on an ethnic basis.