At least 61 killed in South Kordofan tribal clashes with SPLM-N

May 13, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – At least 61 people, including women and children, were killed in clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the Atoro tribe in Kauda, South Kordofan, the Sudan Doctors Network said on Wednesday.

The SPLM-N acknowledged on May 8 that it had launched attacks on Atoro areas to pursue what it described as “rebels.”

The network stated in a press release that survivor testimonies indicate the deaths of more than 61 people, including nine children and five women, following the fighting between the SPLM-N and the Atoro tribe in Kauda.

Survivors’ accounts collected by the network’s team in South Kordofan suggest that civilians were targeted directly and indiscriminately. The region has witnessed a massive wave of displacement and widespread panic among residents.

The SPLM-N previously reported that all tribes participating in a native administration conference in Heiban in August 2022 agreed on border demarcation to end recurring tribal friction, except for the Atoro.

The movement claimed that some members of the tribe removed concrete boundary markers, sparking a conflict between the Atoro and the Shawaya tribe on March 12, which required the deployment of military forces to separate the parties.

The SPLM-N further stated that the Chief of Staff ordered military commanders involved in the conflict to undergo investigation, but Atoro officers disobeyed orders and organized tribe members to attack the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N).

The movement characterized these actions as an explicit rebellion.

The Sudan Doctors Network expressed deep concern over consistent reports from Kauda and surrounding areas regarding a dangerous escalation in violations against civilians over the past two weeks.

The network reported that these violations included extrajudicial killings, slaughter, the burning of homes and shops, and widespread looting of property carried out by SPLM-N forces.

Testimonies indicate that Atoro areas have become a scene of horrific abuses, with villages around Kauda subjected to systematic burning and restrictions on civilian movement. There are currently no safe corridors to evacuate the wounded or deliver humanitarian aid.

The network held the SPLM-N leadership responsible for the violations against civilians in and around Kauda. It called for the opening of humanitarian routes to evacuate the wounded, women, and children, and urged regional and international human rights organizations to intervene immediately.

Kauda is the main stronghold of the SPLM-N, which controls large parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The movement recently allied with the Rapid Support Forces as part of the “Tasees” coalition.