Lawlessness in Sudan’s Nuba Mountains: at least three killed in April

Lawlessness and insecurity continue in South Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains according to new reports by the Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO). At least three people were killed by armed men in the past few weeks, of which one by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) as they attacked a gold mine.

HUDO expresses its serious concerns about the security situation and the safety of civilians in conflict areas and calls on the South Kordofan authorities to investigate the attacks and restore the rule of law in the state.

Police have not carried out appropriate investigations in any of the incidents and regular armed forces were responsible for at least one of the violent events.

Gold mine attack

On April 13, army soldiers attacked the El Hejeirat gold mine in the west of South Kordofan and killed an imam.

HUDO reported on April 30 that “a group of Sudan Armed Forces soldiers” attacked people working at the gold mine, about seven kilometres west of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, and shot at them.

The Imam of the El Hejeirat mosque, Abdelraheem Eisa (60), was killed as he was shot in his chest with three bullets. The army soldiers then took away his smart phone and money and left.

The case was reported to the police of Kadugli but no action was taken.

In protest against the attack and killing, the people in El Hejeirat obstructed the highway connecting Kadugli with other parts of Sudan. The road was later opened after high-ranking military members visited the area and promised to arrest the perpetrators.

To date, no one has been arrested.

The attack happened not long after five people were wounded when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shot at protesters in Red Sea state who were protesting the arrival of a gold mining company with support from the RSF on disputed land.

Killed pregnant woman

On April 25, a pregnant woman was shot dead at her house in Abu Kershola locality in South Kordofan.

HUDO said in another statement on April 30 that Sara Ismail (29) and her children were sleeping at their house in El Fayed Um Abdallah, when two armed and masked men on a motorcycle knocked at the gate. When she went out, they shot her and fled.

Neighbours took her to the hospital, but she died on the way.

The case was reported to the police of El Fayed Um Abdallah, but the police did not investigate or even visit the crime scene.

Violent robberies

On April 28, Ali Hamad (26) was killed in the eastern part of the Nuba Mountains, HUDO reported.

The victim was driving his tuktuk from Abu Jubeiha town to Tagmala, accompanied by his friend El Manzoul Agabadour, when unknown attackers shot at them. Hamad was killed instantly.

Agabadour managed to call the family and took the body of his friend to Abu Jubeiha Hospital for a post-mortem. Together with relatives of the deceased, Agabadour reported the attack to the police of Abu Jubeiha but the police did not carry out any investigations.

On April 21, four armed men wearing masks attacked and robbed farmer Mutasim Mukhtar (45) and his assistant when they were driving a tractor from El Rahad to Um Burambita in Rashad locality. They robbed them of their money and smart phones, HUDO reported.

The two victims reported the case to police of Um Burambita, the home town of the victims, but the police did not respond.