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59-461: Kordofan covers an area of some 376,145 km (146,932 miles²), with an estimated population in 2000 of 3.6 million (3 million in 1983). It is largely an undulating plain, with the Nuba Mountains in the southeast quarter. During the rainy season from June to September, the area is fertile, but in the dry season, it is virtually desert. The region's chief town is El-Obeid . Traditionally the area

118-611: A no-fly zone over Blue Nile, Darfur, and South Kordofan. The Sudanese military claimed on 10 September to have broken an SPLM-N siege of Qiessan , near the Ethiopian border, and evacuated its wounded soldiers from the town. Both Agar and Yahia Mohamed Kheir , the military governor appointed by al-Bashir, claimed control of 80 percent of Blue Nile state. Meanwhile, the Sudanese government said 5,000 people had fled their homes in Blue Nile as

177-707: A response. The SPLA claimed that the Sudanese Army attempted to disarm their units by force. That day, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group claimed to have destroyed an army camp in the area of Jama, South Kordofan, killing 38 soldiers and wounding other 27. On 14 June, the UN accused the Sudanese government of carrying out an "intensive bombing campaign" near the north–south border which has led to "huge suffering" for civilians in South Kordofan. Some 140,000 people fled

236-718: A result of the fighting, and Information Minister Sana Hamad al-Awad claimed it had proof the South Sudanese government was paying the salaries of SPLM-N fighters across the border. On 3 October, SPLM-N forces clashed with the Sudanese army in South Kordofan killing 47 soldiers, including three well-known militia leaders and injuring 23 more. On 9 October the SPLM-N ambushed Sudanese soldiers in Khor Adrak in Blue Nile, killing 30 of them and destroying three army vehicles and capturing one. The Sudanese military seized control of Kurmuk ,

295-736: A result of the genocidal activities of Sudan in Darfur . Human Rights Watch says that cluster bombs are used in the region. The ongoing war continues as the international community continues to debate a resolution to the issue of the Nuba Mountains. Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile Stalemate [REDACTED]   Sudan [REDACTED] SRF (until 2020) Sudanese Armed Forces [REDACTED] SLA [REDACTED] SPLM–N 600−650 killed 179 confirmed captured 405 vehicles destroyed 746 vehicles captured The Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile

354-535: A significant number of people in southern Kordofan and are unique to the region, as are the Kadu languages , but Arabic is the main and most widely spoken language in the greater Kordofan region. About the beginning of the 16th century, Funj from Sennar settled in the country; toward the end of that century, Kordofan was conquered by Sulayman Solong , Sultan of Darfur . In 1779, Sultan Adlan II of Sennar sent Sheikh Nacib, with two thousand cavalry, to take possession of

413-576: A small minority of Baggara . The mountains cover an area roughly 64km wide by 145km long (40 by 90 miles), and are 450 to 900 metres (1,500 to 3,000 ft) higher in elevation than the surrounding plain. The mountains stretch for some 48,000 square kilometers (19,000 square miles). The climate is lush and green compared with most nearby areas — typically hot semi-arid with a rainy season extending from mid-May to mid-October, and annual rainfall between 300 and 800 millimetres (12 and 31 in) — allowing grazing animals and seasonal rain-fed agriculture. At

472-553: A spokesman for the group. By 12 December, fighting had shifted to Taruje , near the border with South Sudan. In a related skirmish, South Sudanese and Sudanese regular divisions clashed at Jau, a disputed town on the border, in what a Sudanese army spokesman described as a victory for Khartoum 's soldiers. On 25 December, JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim was intercepted and killed along with 30 of his fighters in North Kordofan , west of Wad Banda . Sudanese state media reported Ibrahim

531-665: Is intertwined with the War in Darfur , since in November 2011 SPLM-N established a loose alliance with Darfuri rebels, called Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF). As of October 2014, some two million people have been affected by the conflict, with more than 500,000 having been displaced and about 250,000 of them fleeing to South Sudan and Ethiopia. In January 2015, fighting intensified as Omar al-Bashir's government tried to regain control of rebel-held territory ahead of April 2015 general elections. With

590-469: Is known for production of gum arabic . Other crops include groundnuts , cotton and millet . Originally Kordofan was inhabited by brown-skinned- Nubian -speaking peoples, and the region's name may be derived from the Nubian word Kurta meaning 'man', but by the 14th century Arabs from Egypt began expanding southwards into Kordofan, amalgamating with some of the indigenous population and driving remnants of

649-547: The Messiria . Additionally, the Sudanese government maintained a heavy military presence in the region and even prospective "popular consultations" were seen likely to be barred. The ambiguous situation and fears of future communal violence invoked concerns that South Kordofan could be the "next Darfur ". As of June 2011, South Kordofan's governor Ahmed Haroun had suspended the process of popular consultations and conflict between Sudan People's Armed Forces and Nuba fighters of

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708-755: The Nuba Hills , are an area located in South Kordofan , Sudan . The area is home to a group of indigenous ethnic groups known collectively as the Nuba peoples . They are not the same as the Nubians who are indigenous to north Sudan. Rather their name is derived from the name of the mountains, “Nuba”. In the Middle Ages , the Nuba mountains had been part of the Nubian kingdom of Alodia . In

767-623: The Nuba people in an attempt to starve the state into submission. Meanwhile, state-run media claimed SPLM-N guerrillas killed 17 civilians, including children, and wounded 14 in the Kalugi region of South Kordofan on the same day. On 7 September, clashes between Abdel Wahid's Sudan Liberation Army and the Sudanese army were reported in Jebel Marra . Rebels claimed to have killed 40 Sudanese soldiers and captured six of their vehicles. Three rebels were killed and another four were wounded. A spokesman for

826-664: The SPLM-N followed (see Sudan–SPLM-N conflict (2011) ). The war in Sudan began in 1983 until the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on 9 January 2005 with independence vote set for 9 July 2011-the vote on 9 July 2011 succeeded the south into Africa's newest country, the Republic of South Sudan . The capital is located in Juba . The Nuba Mountains are geographically in the north in

885-835: The Sudan – South Sudan border, many of their residents (particularly in the Nuba Mountains ) identify with South Sudan with many of them having fought alongside the southern rebels during the Second Sudanese Civil War . South Kordofan and Blue Nile were not allowed to participate in the January 2011 referendum to create South Sudan, and the "popular consultation" process they were promised also failed to take place. According to satellite imagery, during early spring 2011, Sudan elevated dirt roads needed for tank transportation and in March 2011 it started deploying police and military installations in

944-671: The Sudanese Revolution , that mandates that a peace agreement be made in South Kordofan and Blue Nile (and in Darfur ) within the first six months of the 39-month transition period to democratic civilian government. On 31 August 2020, a comprehensive peace agreement was signed in Juba , South Sudan, between the Sudan's transitional government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu and Sudan Liberation Movement/Army led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur refused to sign

1003-701: The United Nations . At least 15 Sudanese tanks entered Abyei town on 20 May, beginning large-scale fighting in Abyei. By 22 May, the Sudanese military had seized control of the town, and most of Abyei's residents had fled south toward Bahr el Ghazal . Both the Sudanese government and the government of Southern Sudan accused one another of violating the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement . In June 2011, an African Union panel headed by former South African president Thabo Mbeki tried to de-escalate

1062-574: The overthrow of al-Bashir in April 2019 following months of protests , the SRF announced a three-month ceasefire, hoping to facilitate a Sudanese transition to democracy . This led to the beginning of peace negotiations between the rebels and the new interim government. The Sudanese peace process was formalised with the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration , signed by military and civilian representatives during

1121-521: The 18th century, they became home to the kingdom of Taqali that controlled the hills of the mountains until their defeat by Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad . After the British defeated the Mahdi army, Taqali was restored as a client state. Infiltration of the Messiria tribe and Muraheleen of Baggara Arabs has been influential in modern conflicts. Up to 1.5 million people live in the mountains, mostly ethnic Nuba , with

1180-660: The Defturdar, with about 4,500 soldiers and eight pieces of artillery, to subject Kordofan to his power. The monopoly enjoyed by the Egyptian governors in Kordofan impeded trade and stifled entrepreneurial activities. From 1837 to 1839, the country was explored by Ignaz Pallme . The Mahdi captured El-Obeid in 1883. The Egyptian government dispatched a force from Cairo under the British General William Hicks , which

1239-496: The NCP under the leadership of Kafi Tayar who attacked Dalkoma, ten kilometers south of Kadugli, resulting in nine deaths. SPLM-N fighters in South Kordofan reported turning back Sudanese army forces attempting to dislodge them from positions in Warni on 10 December, as well as the capture of the localities of Abu al-Hassan and al-Rashad three days earlier. The battles left 19 dead, according to

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1298-526: The Nuba Mountains supporting relief and security operations. The international community, including a number of celebrities such as actor George Clooney and reporter Nicholas Kristof , have recently travelled to the Nuba Mountains and documented the continued genocidal activities of the Bashir government. President Bashir is an indicted war criminal at the International Criminal Court (ICC) as

1357-602: The Nuba Mountains. Samuel Totten described the campaign of the Sudanese government in the Nuba Mountains as a "genocide by attrition" using starvation as a tool of extermination. In 2002, due to the extreme starvation of the people of the Nuba Mountains and under the international pressure from the UN, Khartoum under President Bashir (at that time, the government was termed the National Islamic Front) authorizes an interim cease fire to provide food and medical equipment/support to

1416-606: The SPLM but must be approved by the northern National Congress Party (NCP). The deputy however, would be nominated by the NCP and endorsed by SPLM. Three of the five heads of the departments of the administrative council would be nominated by the SPLM and the remaining two by the NCP. A police service would be established for the region, with the size and composition determined by a joint committee co-chaired by northern and southern officials. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed

1475-514: The SPLM-N of "betrayal" in South Kordofan. "If they want war...we will show them practically like what happened in Abyei and South Kordofan" Bashir said. "It is better that they [SPLM-N] come to us in good terms and we will be better than them," he added. The Sudanese Army said that it would continue its military campaign in South Kordofan, which included aerial bombardment, until it crushes the rebellion led by former deputy governor and leading SPLM-N figure Abdelaziz al-Hilu . Fighting intensified around

1534-483: The Sudanese government and SPLM rebels, fighting broke out again in the lead-up to South Sudan independence on 9 July 2011, starting in South Kordofan on 5 June and spreading to the neighboring Blue Nile state in September. SPLM-N, splitting from newly independent SPLM, took up arms against the inclusion of the two southern states in Sudan with no popular consultation and against the lack of democratic elections. The conflict

1593-461: The Sudanese government did so more severely with them being accused of " forced disappearances , targeting of UN staff and summary executions ." The following day, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos called for an independent investigation into atrocities possibly committed during the conflict. Amos said the Government of Sudan should lift its restrictions on access to

1652-529: The Sudanese military said that the SPLM-N militants attacked army positions in Ad-Damazin , the capital of Blue Nile state, on 1 September. Governor of Blue Nile State, Malik Agar disputed this account, saying the army attacked Blue Nile state institutions first, including his official residence. The military quickly took control of Ad-Damazin, and Khartoum replaced Agar with a military governor. Agar and his allies regrouped in southern Blue Nile. On 2 September,

1711-471: The accord but said the real test would be how both sides would implement the deal. On 21 June, a statement was attributed to the NCP's official in charge of the Abyei file, Didiri Mohamed Ahmed, as saying that there was an understanding reached at the Addis Ababa meeting between the two parties that South Sudan would concede future ownership of Abyei to Sudan. However, the spokesman of SPLA, Philip Aguer, told

1770-740: The agreement. An agreement was reached between the transitional government and the SPLM-North al-Hilu rebel faction on 3 September 2020 in Addis Ababa to separate religion and state and not discriminate against anyone's ethnicity in order to secure the equal treatment of all citizens of Sudan. The declaration of principles stated that “Sudan is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. Full recognition and accommodation of these diversities must be affirmed. (...) The state shall not establish an official religion. No citizen shall be discriminated against based on their religion.” Although South Kordofan and Blue Nile are north of

1829-462: The area called South Kordofan (see Misplaced Pages for in-depth review). The people of the Nuba Mountains (a five mountain chain rising from the desert to 1,000 metres (3,000 feet)) were not aligned with the north under sharia law nor the Arabic language . This cultural dispute was in part the reason for people in Nuba being prosecuted by indiscriminate bombing, attacks on civilians and mines at entry points to

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1888-548: The area of the Nuba Mountains as a sea lies a vast area of Cenozoic -aged sedimentary rock known as the "Umm Rawaba sediments". In the Nuba Mountains there are phosphate deposits hosting much uranium , vanadium and phosphorus which may be of economic interest. The largest mountains or hills are found in the central area of the Nuba Mountains, and these are inselbergs . These inselbergs are mostly made up of igneous rock, as metamorphic rock has been more heavily eroded and thus occupies lower ground. The region stayed under

1947-454: The area. In May 2011, ahead of South Sudan 's scheduled independence, tensions rose around the status of the Abyei Area , an oil-rich region that was statutorily part of both South Kordofan and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states. As South Kordofan was slated to remain with Sudan while Northern Bahr el Ghazal was seceding together with the rest of what was then Southern Sudan Autonomous Region ,

2006-483: The area. They were said to have dropped five bombs, four detonating. The local official Miabek Lang said at least 12 people had been killed and 20 wounded during the strike. The Sudanese government has denied the claims. Darfuri factions and the SPLM-N in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states announced the formation of an alliance called the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) on 12 November. The stated goal of

2065-740: The city Toroj, killing 60 of the Sudanese army and militia and destroying 3 armored vehicles. They also stated that they took over armored vehicles and artillery guns with a number of ammunition and fuel. On 9 December the SAF and the SPLM-N both claimed victory in battle in South Kordofan. The SPLM-N claimed to have killed 40 members of the Central Reserves Police, including the head of the team. They also said that three Land Cruisers loaded with guns were destroyed; three artilleriy pieces and tens of light weapons, including RBG 7 and BKM machine guns were captured. They also claimed to have dispersed militias of

2124-544: The clashes. The Sudanese Armed forces said they managed on 5 of December to defeat the rebels of the SPLA in South Kordofan's region of Lake Alubaid, where the armed forces seized the head of division nine in all its three camps. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement denied this happening and asserted that it had destroyed a whole unit of militias affiliated with the National Congress Party (NCP) and its armed forces near

2183-521: The coalition is to overthrow al-Bashir's government and install a democratic system in Sudan. On 23 November, the Sudanese Liberation Army faction led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur (SLA-AW) clashed with the SAF in North Darfur's Kabkabiya region and captured 10 Land Cruisers loaded with guns in addition to capturing three soldiers, one with the rank of sergeant. 35 Sudanese soldiers were killed in

2242-473: The control of the central government and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement did not give the Nuba Mountains the right to join South Sudan in its vote for independence in 2011. Residents of the Nuba Mountains were required to hold ill-defined " popular consultations " to determine their future. Not only the Nuba Mountains but the whole of South Kordofan state would be eligible to vote, essentially to accommodate

2301-406: The country, which remained for about five years under the government of Sennar. There followed a considerable immigration of Arab tribes and native people from Sennar and Dongola (see old Dongola ) into the country. The Sennari however suffered a decisive defeat in 1784 and thereafter under Darfur viceroys the country enjoyed prosperity. The inhabitants lived in peace and were not troubled with taxes;

2360-589: The end of the dry season from February to May there is often a shortage of water. There are almost no roads in the Nuba Mountains — most villages there are connected by ancient paths that cannot be reached by motor vehicle. On a grand scale the rocks of the Nuba Mountains form part of the southwestern fringe of the Arabian-Nubian Shield . The Nuba Mountains are made up chiefly of metamorphic rock of Precambrian age plus some scattered areas of igneous rock of Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic age. Surrounding

2419-420: The federal government declared a state of emergency in the state. The Sudanese Air Force reportedly carried out strike missions, bombing SPLM-N villages and towns with the SPLM-N claiming that four civilians were killed in an aerial bombing of Kormok . By 22 September, the SPLM-N had claimed victory in several battlefields (in the areas of Ibri, locality of Dlami; Angrto, locality of Talodi and Abolhassan, in

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2478-416: The fighting. Aid agency offices were looted, churches were ransacked and buildings destroyed. Aid workers said that ethnic Nubans are being targeted by the Sudanese Army and Arab militias. This was denied by Rabbie Abdelattif Ebaid, an adviser to Sudan's information minister, who said that only rebel fighters were being targeted. On 15 June, US President Barack Obama called for a ceasefire urging both

2537-473: The former stronghold of the SPLM-N in Blue Nile state, on 2 November. Al-Bashir visited the town four days later to declare it "liberated". He also threatened South Sudan with war, accusing it of supporting the SPLM-N in its anti-government activities. On 10 November, it was reported that the Sudanese government bombed Yida camp in South Sudan's Unity state. Two Antonov makeshift bombers were seen leaving

2596-657: The indigenous population to the hills. Most of the inhabitants of Kordofan are Arabs . The main tribal groups of Arab tribes, include the Dar Hamid, Kawahla, Hamar, Bedairiah, Gawamaah and Rekabeiah. In Northern Kordofan there are large grazing areas used and inhabited for hundreds of years by Arabic -speaking, semi-nomadic Baggara and camel-raising Kababish tribes. Other ethnic groups that inhabit Kordofan are Nubians , Daju , Beja , Zaghawa , and Funj people. Nilotic tribes, Nuba , Shilluk and Dinka , also inhabit parts of Kordofan. The Kordofanian languages are spoken by

2655-608: The locality of Cdarno) killing 25 soldiers and militias belonging to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and captured several soldiers and weapons. The JEM and the SLM, issued a joint statement on 4 September condemning the Sudanese military's use of force against the SPLM-N in Blue Nile, calling it a plot to spread "chaos and killing" across the country. They also called on the United Nations Security Council to impose

2714-605: The merchants were exempt from duties, and the tribute paid was a voluntary present to the Sultan of Darfur. Bara, the second commercial town of importance in the country, was built by the Dongolavi. Commerce extended in all directions. Caravans brought products from Abyssinia and Egypt into Lobeid and Bara, from which the greater part was again transported on to other parts of Africa. This prosperity ended in 1821 when Muhammad Ali Pasha , Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt sent his son-in-law, Mahommed Bey

2773-463: The north and south to "live up to their responsibilities" to prevent a return to civil war. The head of the Anglican church , Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said: "The humanitarian challenge is already great, and the risk of another Darfur situation , with civilian populations at the mercy of government-supported terror, is a real one". On 19 June, Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir accused

2832-508: The people of the Nuba Mountains. In exchange, the Sudan People's Liberation Army/SPLA agree not attack the south-north pipeline to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast. An international group of observers/advisers deployed to South Kordofan Province/ Kadugli with several US advisers deployed directly into the Nuba Mountains, specifically to be co-located with the SPLA. One of the advisers/observers

2891-502: The press that the statement from the NCP senior official was incorrect. On 5 June 2011, armed conflict broke out between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM–N) in South Kordofan , ahead of the scheduled independence of southern Sudan on 9 July. The Sudanese Army said that the SPLA launched an attack on a police station and stole weapons prompting

2950-461: The region. Joint SPLM-N and JEM forces defeated government forces from 10 to 17 July in the Nuba Mountains. An army garrison in Al-Tais was captured by rebels. By the end, 150 government soldiers and 1 rebel were killed, considerable amounts of weaponry including light and heavy machine guns and artillery, RBJ, AK47 and anti air craft missiles were captured by rebels. Also 3 rebels were captured. It

3009-471: The seven Land Cruisers, that carried the Sudanese soldiers. Their spokesman said that they also seized fire arms and ammunition. The remainder of the government troops fled. Fighting continued after South Sudan gained independence on 9 July, though the Sudanese government insisted that order had been restored in South Kordofan. A UN report leaked on 18 July documented alleged war crimes in South Kordofan, claiming that both sides targeted civilians but that

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3068-477: The situation through north–south talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa . On 20 June, the parties agreed to demilitarize the contested area of Abyei, and UN peacekeepers were deployed as part of United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei on 27 June. The agreement details how a new Abyei administration council would replace the one dissolved by president Omar al-Bashir in May 2011. Its chief shall be picked by

3127-556: The state capital of Kadugli . On 6 July a JEM field commander announced that his forces were able to defeat an army battalion in a field near Heglig , comprising fifty four members, arranged a trap for the army battalion, which was composed of nine Land Cruisers. The head of the battalion was killed, along with two other soldiers. On 11 July, clashes were reported in Fula, South Kordofan. Sudanese Federal National Front claimed that their forces killed 20 Sudanese soldiers, and destroyed four of

3186-451: The status of Abyei was unclear, and both Khartoum and Juba claimed the area as their own. On 19 May 2011, militants reportedly affiliated with the Sudan People's Liberation Army attacked a convoy of mixed Sudanese Army and UNMIS vehicles 10 km north of Abyei town as they withdrew from the area's administrative centre, drawing condemnation from both the Sudanese government and

3245-455: Was Randolph Hampton (US) located in Kauda co-located with the SPLA command element. Reports of indiscriminate bombing of civilians and mining entry points primarily for relief operation was reported and documents (with photos) during this time. Abdel Aziz Adam El Hilu was at that time, the governor of the Nuba Mountains and former military leader for the SPLA. He is currently (as of March 2012) back in

3304-724: Was ambushed and annihilated at Sheikan to the south of El Obeid. Following British reoccupation in 1898, Kordofan was added to the number of provinces of the Sudan. In 1973 it was split into the provinces ( mudiriya ) of North Kordofan and South Kordofan , which became states ( wilayat ) in 1994. In 2011, armed conflict in South Kordofan broke out in June 2011, ahead of independence for South Sudan . Fighting has since involved rebel groups in Darfur and has expanded into North Kordofan. 13°N 28°E  /  13°N 28°E  / 13; 28 Nuba Mountains The Nuba Mountains ( Arabic : جبال النوبة ), also referred to as

3363-534: Was an armed conflict in the Sudanese states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile (known as the Two Areas ) between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N), a northern affiliate of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in South Sudan . After some years of relative calm following the 2005 agreement which ended the second Sudanese civil war between

3422-588: Was defeated in fighting with the army. JEM confirmed Ibrahim's death, but said he had been killed by an airstrike, not in combat with Sudanese ground troops. Ibrahim's death came a day after JEM fighters attacked three villages in the state. By early January, reports of malnutrition and hunger increased in the conflict-afflicted zones. According to the United Nations, close to 417,000 people had been displaced, including 80,000 who fled to South Sudan . By 20 January, heavy clashes broke out in Blue Nile state between

3481-645: Was reported on 27 August that a JEM leader had been captured and sentenced to death by hanging . Around the same time, the Sudan Tribune reported that the SPLM-N, the JEM, and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) had formed a tentative alliance to resist the federal government in Khartoum. On 1 September, SPLM-N rebels in South Kordofan claimed the military was deliberately destroying crops and farms belonging to

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