Sudan’s RSF sends delegation to mediate deadly clashes in rebel-held Kauda

October 6, 2026 (KAUDA) – A senior military and tribal delegation from Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrived in the Nuba Mountains on Tuesday to help mediate deadly clashes between the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and local fighters from the Otoro community.

The fighting in and around Kauda, the historical stronghold of the SPLM-N, has killed more than 500 people from the Otoro ethnic group, displaced over 25,000, and burned dozens of villages, according to local tribal leaders. Reuters could not independently verify the casualty figures.

Tensions have simmered for months in the region, escalating sharply this year amid disputes over local native administration boundaries, alongside political and military rivalries between SPLM-N commanders and Otoro leaders.

The RSF mission is led by Major General Hassan Mahjoub al-Fadil, head of the executive office of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

Hemedti formed the joint committee, which includes senior RSF commanders and traditional leaders from Darfur and Kordofan, to investigate the violence and broker a resolution.

The warring factions have agreed to a cessation of hostilities to allow the mediation initiative to proceed, local sources said.

The RSF team held separate discussions in the nearby town of Kuya with top SPLM-N figures, including military chief of staff Izzat Kuku and Jagod Mukwar, the group’s deputy chairman and governor of the Nuba Mountains.

Delegates outlined the committee’s mandate, focusing on determining the root causes of the clashes and securing a durable ceasefire.

The delegation plans to meet on Wednesday with Otoro representatives led by acting traditional leader Kuku al-Daqil Damjala, either in Kauda, which remains under Otoro control, or in nearby Debbi.

The delegation also includes Major General Mahdi al-Amin Kabba, the RSF training director, and prominent tribal leaders including Mahmoud Musa Madibo, paramount chief of the Rizeigat.