Kauda, August 09 (Darfur24)
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North) has arrested six humanitarian workers in Kauda, South Kordofan State, and taken them to an undisclosed location, two days after detaining four workers from the Smartin organization, according to local sources.
Sources in Kauda told Darfur24 on Sunday that SPLM-North intelligence arrested the six workers on Saturday. Three work for Answer the Call, two for Smartin, and one for the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
The sources identified those detained as John Omar, Moza Younis, Najah Koko, Dr. Mirghani Adam, Akhnouq Ramadan, and Nasri Musa.
The arrests come amid ongoing clashes between the SPLM-North and members of the Otoro tribe in the Kauda area.
In a statement issued Saturday, Otoro tribal chief Koko Al-Daqir called on Nuba communities and SPLM members to pressure the movement’s leadership to halt what he described as violations and return to legal procedures.
The statement held those responsible for the arrests accountable for the detainees’ safety and called on human rights organizations, activists, and media outlets to pressure the SPLM-North leadership to release all detainees and end what it described as persecution of Otoro community members.
Local sources said the SPLM-North has carried out a broader campaign of arrests targeting civilians, humanitarian workers, and religious figures in recent months.
UN employee Najwa Moussa Kanda was arrested on April 1 and later sentenced to one year in prison, according to local sources.
Kauda has experienced heightened tensions since March following disputes over border demarcation between local communities. The tensions later escalated into armed clashes between the SPLM-North and members of the Otoro tribe, whom the movement describes as “rebels.”