SIHA urges SPLM-N to release detained activist Najwa Kaunda

May 7, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) on Thursday called on the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) to release a prominent activist detained for over a month.

Najwa Musa Kaunda was arrested in early April in the Atoro area of the Nuba Mountains, a region under SPLM-N control. She was later transferred to the group’s stronghold in Kauda.

SIHA demanded Kaunda’s immediate and unconditional release and said it held the leadership of the SPLM-N, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, responsible for her safety and well-being.

The activist’s family has reported a deterioration in her health, and religious organizations, including the Nuba Mountains Council of Churches, have been denied access to visit her, the rights group said.

The SPLM-N controls significant portions of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. The group recently formed a political and military alliance, Tasis, with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023.

According to SIHA, Kaunda was detained following her involvement in mediation efforts to resolve tribal conflicts in the Dibi area.

Kaunda is a well-known figure in the Nuba Mountains, having spent years working on humanitarian relief, peacebuilding, and women’s rights. She previously served on the SPLM-N’s delegation during peace talks with the former Sudanese government.

In 2016, Kaunda spearheaded the execution of a United Nations action plan to eradicate the recruitment of child soldiers in regions governed by the SPLM-N.

The rights group urged the international community to pressure the SPLM-N and its allies to halt the arbitrary detention of civilians and human rights defenders