Sudan war: Dozens killed in South Darfur clashes, SPLM-N attack in South Kordofan

Violent ‘inter-ethnic clashes’ in Ed El Fursan and Kubum in South Darfur have led to multiple civilian casualties and significant displacement of residents. An attack on Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) positions in Dalami, South Kordofan, by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North El Hilu (SPLM-N El Hilu), left two people injured.

Last week, tribal clashes claimed dozens of civilian lives, with many more injured, in Ed El Fursan and Kubum localities in South Darfur. The clashes extended until Friday.

In a statement on Saturday, the Darfur Bar Association (DBA) detailed an attack on Kubum, which began on Friday, August 4, and continued until Tuesday. The association described it as “a violent attack on Kubum involving 35 Land Cruisers equipped with full military gear, all belonging to the Rapid Support Forces”, killing 24 people from the Kubum area and its vicinity.

Local sources informed Radio Dabanga that the markets of Kubum and Markondi were plundered. The violence reportedly displaced people in Artala, Central Darfur, north of Kubum, as well as Damba Agi village in Kubum, South Darfur. Some residents in Kubum and Markondi were also displaced. Sources said that a tentative calm has settled over the two localities since Saturday.

The clashes started when armed men stormed the Kubum police station in a vehicle fitted with a Dushka machinegun. According to the statement, “the attackers managed to steal a police vehicle, prompting a pursuit by law enforcement. This led to the recovery of the stolen vehicle , while the vehicle used in the attack was seized”.

The DBA cautioned Darfur society of being “dragged into conflicts orchestrated by authorities in the capital.” It also urgently appealed for an immediate cessation of hostilities across the country.

Rebel attack

On Saturday, an attack on SAF positions by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North El Hilu (SPLM-N El Hilu) left two people injured in Dalami, South Kordofan. The attack temporarily displaced some residents, many of whom returned on Sunday.

Sources told Radio Dabanga that an SPLM-N El Hilu force, launched an attack on the town from three directions on Saturday. The attackers employed heavy weaponry, “with some shells landing in neighbourhoods close to the army command in Dalami”. Two civilians sustained injuries in the El Huda neighbourhood, while no losses were reported among the army ranks. Following the attack, the SPLM forces withdrew and calm was restored on Sunday morning.