Sudanese medical group accuses rebel group of killing 27 people

In southern Sudan, at least 27 people were killed in the latest ethnic clashes, according to the Sudan Doctors Network. The victims included four children and were predominantly from the Otoro tribe, who inhabit the areas of Qardud and Abu Hamama in South Kordofan. The Sudan Doctors Network, which monitors casualty numbers in the war-torn country, accused the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-N) of carrying out the killings.

The SPLM-N, a breakaway faction of the ruling party in neighboring South Sudan, has been at odds with the Otoro tribe over land disputes, reigniting tensions that contributed to the outbreak of the country’s civil war in April 2023. The conflict now involves forces linked to the SPLM-N and the Otoro tribe, both of which are considered minority groups in the South Kordofan region.

The Sudan Doctors Network condemned the targeting of unarmed civilians, including women and children, as a violation of international humanitarian law. They called on the international community to put pressure on the SPLM-N leadership to cease attacks on civilians, noting that women were also among those wounded in the recent attacks.