Accord signed to end violence in South Kordofan

A Cessation of Hostilities and Restraint agreement on was signed today between native administration leaders and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) in South Kordofan in the presence of the Chairman of the state's Security Committee, Gen Abdallah El Bashir and the Acting Wali (Governor), Maj Gen Rashad Abdelhamid.

Gen El Bashir told the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) that the consecutive meetings and the efforts of the native administration leaders, the FFC and the Security Committee in South Kordofan resulted in the signing of the “agreement on cessation of hostilities and restraint to stop the bloodshed besides, the principle for good intention”.

On Friday, in separate incidents, armed men allegedly affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan’s main government militia, killed two people and injured a woman in Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan. In some neighbourhoods in Kadugli, fear and heavy shooting forced residents to stay indoors.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that in the first incident, a group of RSF militiamen shot and killed Adil El Tunna and injured his daughter while in their way from Merta district to the town market. The injured woman was transferred to the hospital . 

In the second incident, the witnesses alleged that members of the RSF opened fired on Esam Kunda who was on his way from East Merta district to the town market on Friday. He died instantly.

The residents of the Tello camp for the displaced in the southern part of Kadugli have complained that the RSF is terrorising them and has seized control of the district.

One of them told Radio Dabanga that they faced heavy shootings and plundering of properties which forced them to flee to the eastern part of the town. “We are running out of basic necessities, but we cannot access the market,” another resident complained.

Last week, Radio Dabanga reported that nine RSF members were killed in an attack by army soldiers near Kadugli on Wednesday. At least 16 other people were wounded. On Thursday, five people were reportedly killed in the town by men wearing RSF uniforms.

Reconciliation efforts

In a press conference on Friday, Maj Gen Abdallah Idris, member of the Security Committee of the Joint Armed Forces told reporters that the authority deployed adequate security forces in the town. The local government lifted some of the precautionary social distancing measures to ease the tension. “All parties agreed that the government authority must be reinforced in the region,” Idris said.

Idris rebutted claims that some families were removed from their homes. “Both the investigative and reconciliation committees are working hard to identify those responsible for the atrocities in the town. The aim of those who circulated the rumours was to force people to leave their homes,” he said. He added that the authority will hold accountable anyone involved in the atrocities.

Governor Abdelhamid said that the local government has taken precautionary measures to prevent any potential violence in the area.

He confirmed the arrival of a fact-finding committee headed by the Inspector General of the Sudan Armed Forces, Lt Gen Abbas Hasan, in Kadugli. The government deployed enough security forces in the city to maintain the security situation, and thus they advised people to return to their homes.

Maj Jaw Kafi stated that those responsible for the recent violence will stand trial. “From now on, the law enforcement and judicial mechanisms will be the only possible resolution tool to resort to,” Maj Kafi said.

The spokesperson for the coordination of the native administration, Amir Mohamed Abuzeid explained that the meeting discussed a number of issues such as cessation of the hostilities and reopening the roads to facilitate the movement.

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