SPLM-N leaders pay visit to contain tension in South Kordofan

The leaders of the rebel SPLM-N paid a visit to their forces in the Nuba Mountains to show confidence in the movement in spite of what seem internal struggles for self-determination.

Meetings with the chief of staff, his deputies, and senior officers took place on Saturday. The president of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, Malik Agar, Secretary-General Yasir Arman and other leadership council members said that they will also meet with community groups in the areas of the Nuba Mountains where the rebels are in power.

In a press statement, Agar ensured that this visit highlights that the SPLM-N “will remain strong, solid and unified in confronting the National Congress Party's regime”.

The visit of the high-level delegation came against the backdrop of a declaration by the movement's Nuba Mountains Liberation Council, the movement's highest political authority in the area. The council longs for the right to self-determination, as well as the resignation of secretary-general Arman as the leading peace negotiations delegate.

Last week the Liberation Council initially refused the resignation of deputy chairman of the SPLM-N Abdelaziz El Hilu, which was later confirmed by Agar. The news about the differences was already widely circulated on social media, prompting Agar to point fingers to “suspicious circles” for using the resignation of his deputy to prove power struggles within the movement.

Photos below: Secretary-general Yasir Arman in the Nuba Mountains, and military leaders of the SPLM-N (photos by SPLM-N)