The Nuba of Sudan: From Ethnic War to Insurgent Civil Conflict

Following the partition of Sudan in July 2011, the breakdown of the CPA process on transitional governance has led the Nuba Mountain Region to a state of crisis, stemming from fragmented tribes with ethno-political allegiances to President al-Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP), or the Nuba-backed SPLM-N. Furthermore, GoS initiated aerial bombardments combined with sweeping ground attacks by SAF forces against the SPLM-N and supporters has created a regional humanitarian crisis, with more than 150,000 IDPs fleeing to South Sudan and Ethiopia. In the face of an emerging alliance between Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) opposition and insurgent groups with the intention of regime change, the al-Bashir regime has denied the entry of aid organizations and international observers to the region, and has continued military incursions and attacks on South Sudan and autonomous regions in its plight to control disputed oil-rich territory. These are clear violations of UNSC resolution 2046 and undermine AU-mediated negotiations pushing a 3-month timeline for negotiations between the GoS and the GoSS to resolve disputed border areas, install a Safe Demilitarized Border Zone with an agreement on border demarcation, oil revenue sharing, and a resolution to the administration of the Abyei territory. Policy recommendations that prioritize an end to violence in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei regions, oil transit fee settlements, and alleviating the humanitarian crisis are addressed tos the internatonal community and the Government of Canada. These recommendations also address the obstructive and pre-emptive tactics by the al-Bashir regime to avoid a recurrent civil war fueled by the insurgency of the SRF amidst an emerging political crisis in Khartoum. Read more