New SPLM-N leader visits South Kordofan

The acting chairman of the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), Abdelaziz El Hilu, arrived to the rebel-held areas in South Korodfan on Thursday.

The rebel movement released a statement the next day, saying that the “official and popular reception” was attended by Maj. Gen. Jogode Mekwar Marada, chief of staff of the SPLM-N, Brig. Gen. Ezekiel Koko Talodi, who is the Governor of Tubu, and a number of civilian and military leaders.

This is the first visit to the region by El Hilu as temporary chairman, after he was commissioned by the Nuba Mountains Liberation Council (NMLC) in early June to relieve Chairman Malik Agar and Secretary-General Yasir Arman from their positions.

The appointment would help the leadership of the movement to overcome the internal crises. El Hilu said to cooperate with the NMLC and its sister group, the Blue Nile Liberation Council, to attend to the crises in preparation for the SLM-N General Assembly.

The rift within the SPLM-N surfaced in March when Deputy-Chairman Abdelaziz El Hilu resigned from his position in March. He accused Secretary-General Yasir Arman, the movement’s chief negotiator, of disregarding the issue of self-determination for the Nuba Mountains in the peace talks. Early this month, the Nuba Mountains Liberation Council temporarily tasked El Hilu with the leadership of the movement after relieving Arman and Chairman Malik Agar and Arman from their posts. The Blue Nile Liberation Council partially agreed to this decision.