Sudan rebels say army attacks group's positions in south

A rebel force in Sudan's south accused the army on Tuesday of attacking its positions in an attempt to clutch land, a day after deadly shelling that authorities blamed on the group.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) controls parts of South Kordofan state where the latest violence has occurred, and is not affiliated with either the army or the rival paramilitaries who have been at war since April 2023.

SPLM-N, the rebel group led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, said in a statement that army forces shelled areas under its control around the South Kordofan state capital of Kadugli on Monday before attempting to "advance to seize these areas".

The rebels have repelled the troops, "inflicting heavy losses" on them, it added.

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The statement said that fighting took place in "a populated area", and that the army was "advancing along with civilians as they attempted to move towards SPLM-N-controlled areas".

There was no comment from the army on the fighting in South Kordofan.

SPLM-N has been engaged in clashes with both the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in parts of South Kordofan throughout their nearly two-year war.

Kadugli remains under army control, but SPLM-N holds positions in the surrounding mountains and rural areas, and controls parts of the nearby Blue Nile state.

The rebel group said that the army had deployed troops to an area 36 kilometres (22 miles) from Kadugli on Thursday, establishing positions in the mountains around the city.

By Saturday, the army started shelling SPLM-N-controlled areas around Kadugli, forcing civilians to evacuate and placing them in the line of fire, according to the group.

On Monday, at least 40 people were killed in artillery shelling on Kadugli, according to two medical sources in the city's main hospital.

South Kordofan Governor Mohamed Ibrahim blamed the attack on SPLM-N, saying that the shelling targeted a local market.

The conflict in Sudan has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced over 12 million and created what the International Rescue Committee has called the "biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded".