Kauda, September 28 (Darfur24)
The Atoro and Shuwaya tribes have exchanged accusations over recent violence in Heiban County, South Kordofan, with the Atoro accusing the SPLM-North of killing eight detainees and the Shuwaya accusing Atoro-affiliated groups of launching an armed attack.
In a statement on Sunday, Atoro tribal leaders said SPLM-North forces killed eight members of the tribe who were being held at Mendi prison on September 23.
The tribe identified those killed as Faisal Musa, Ayub Malak Luja, Koko Abdel Aziz Bashir, Ayub Awad Al-Amin, Kamal Idris Al-Yaqqa, Mustafa Awad Al-Karim Olunga, Omar Burjo and Salah Hassan.
The Atoro also accused the SPLM-North of arresting two employees from the Civil Authority headquarters in Um Dolo while they were carrying out their duties. They identified them as Daniel Ibrahim Koko, secretary of the regional Education Department, and employee Khalid Othman Nabri.
The tribal leaders called for an independent and urgent investigation into the incidents, the disclosure of the detainees’ whereabouts and their protection, as well as accountability for anyone responsible for killings, arbitrary detention or targeting based on tribal affiliation.
They also called for an immediate end to practices that threaten civilians, peace and social cohesion in Heiban and the wider Nuba Mountains.
Tensions have persisted in Kauda since March over disputes linked to the demarcation of tribal boundaries. The tensions later escalated into confrontations between the SPLM-North and members of the Atoro tribe, whom the movement describes as rebels.
Shuwaya Accusations
The Shuwaya tribe separately accused groups affiliated with the Atoro of carrying out a large-scale armed attack on Shuwaya areas on September 24.
The tribe said the attack began at about 5 a.m. and continued until 1 p.m., with fighters advancing along four axes.
According to the Shuwaya statement, one person was killed and eight others wounded, while residents and property in the affected areas suffered additional humanitarian and security impacts.
The tribe said it supports resolving the conflict through addressing disputes over historically recognized lands and boundaries, and rejected attempts to alter those boundaries by force.
It condemned killings, displacement, property destruction and retaliatory violence, warning that continued tribal mobilization, incitement and hate speech could deepen the conflict.
The Shuwaya called for an immediate and unconditional end to attacks against its communities and urged the protection of civilians.
Darfur24 could not independently verify the competing allegations.