On 28 October 2001 many Nuba returnees from SPLA areas who had settled in Koufa and Kanga in western Kadugli two months ago were forcibly removed to "peace camps" situated around Kadugli. This operation came at a time when people were preparing to harvest their crops, which were only a few weeks away from being ripe. The victims who were arrested, tortured and killed were:

1. Osman Saddig Deng, 2. Mekki el-Haj Ali, 3. Babiker Siddig Kafi, 4.Issa Tutu Kujur, 5. Ayub Abdallah, 6.Asha Daraj, 7.Fathyia Addud. Those remained in detention were: 1. Omer Kafi Mamoun, 2. Farajala Abdallah Kalgi, 3. Meki Ali Kafi, 4. Hashim Tutut Kujur, 5. Mohammed Abdalla, 6. Khamis Musa Dawood, 7.Tambal Ciabiel Abdel Aziz.

The followings people were arrested in Lima: 1. Ibrahim Addud, 2. Ali Didan, 3. Ali Abu Zanoun.

Some of these detainees died in prison. Also some women were raped. The total number of those arrested, killed, disappeared or raped were 133 which came from Lima, Korongo Abdallah and Shatt.

37 were arrested in the Moro Hills and are kept in army garrisons in Kadugli. In the western hills of Dilling province (Tima and Tulushi) people were forced together in Nimir Shago and Saati which are both headquarters of Popular Defense Force (PDF). Some detainees are forced to carry arms in the unit led by former SPLA cdr. Mohammed Ali who defected from the SPLA to the Government 6 months ago.

On 19 November 2001 Government forces in Mandi garrison sent an assassin squad to Kumbo near Kauda and brutally killed Augustino Al Nur Shimela, a local judge, in front of his family.

On 3 December 2001 the armed forces attacked villages in Korongo in western Kadugli killing 12 civilians. More than 22 civilians were taken to Heiban garrison.

In December government armed forces also launched further attacks in Korongo, killing 31 civilians including: 1- Hassan Sidiq, 2- Alkiek Alhaj, 3- Jibril A/Aziz, 4- Khamis Ali, 5- Hashim Muorno, 6- Eisa Kemanuno,7- Khamis Angallo, 8- Khamis Kaffi, 9- Kekki Englies, 10-Hassan Kannu, 11-Tambafa Albija, 12- Omar Elia, 13- HassanTaiya, 14- Al-Nur Kuwa, 15- Aasha Sheshe, 16- Asiha Mekki, 17-Asiha Dakaj, 18- Halima El-zum, 19- Alawiya Mutukan, 20- Alawiya Kennu, 21-Bakhita Adam, 22- Issa Alamin, 23- Halima Alnua, 24- Um-Jummaa Kaffi, 25- Qismah Daud, 26- Omak Kaffi and 27- Hajok Ali. Among these victims were 12 young women, of whom two were pregnant.

On 6 December 2001 government soldiers attacked Sougali village, situated about 40 kilometres south west of Kadugli town. The exact numbers are not known but it is estimated that more than 30 civilians were killed and many were displaced. Many again fled back to the SPLA controlled area.

In January, the people of Sougali, who returned last year to their homes from the SPLA controlled areas and resettled in the village practising their normal life, were again attacked on suspicion that they were passing information to the SPLA and accused of harbouring rebels among them.

Because of these allegations some villagers from Leima, Kofa, Kanga and Abu-Sounoon in the Miri district of west Kadugli decided to join the SPLA . During previous months the government armed forces had been raiding their villages frequently, killing people and looting their properties.

The Government’s intention of continuing its war in Nuba Mountains has not apparently changed even after accepting John Danforth’s action proposals of a cease-fire and the cessation of bombing and killing civilians in Nuba Mountains.

It is now providing former Alt. Cdr. Mohammed Ali Tiya with logistic support and Nuba fighters. He was recently given orders to go to fight his own people in the Lagawa, Tema and Tulishi areas.

He was also allegedly given a magnificent house in El-Obeid, a Landcruiser and more than 5 million Sudanese pounds. In this cheap and simple way the Government has been fighting its war in the mountains - setting Nuba against Nuba - a policy of "divide and rule" intended to eradicate the Nuba identity in Sudan.

However, the Cease-fire Agreement for the Nuba Mountains signed on 19 January still appears to be holding, bringing much needed relief and a brief respite from the fighting.

We hope that this can be extended to develop into a permanent cease-fire and a comprehensive peace settlement in the Sudan, the only effective way of securing the future for the Nuba.

UK appoints special envoy for peace in Sudan

Nuba Survival welcomes the appointment of British Special Envoy for Peace in Sudan, former Ambassador Alan Goulty. His appointment has been acompanied by a shake up of the Sudan Desk at Britian’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). It has been transferred from theMiddle East to the Africa Section, under Baroness Amos, Minisnter of State For Africa for both the FCO and the Department for International Development (DFID).

We hope that all this combined expertise and attention will help Britian to play a more positive and constructive role in helping to bring a lasting settlement to Sudan.

Britain will of course be familair with the concept of a distinct Nuba entity as recongnised by the Burgenstock Cease-fire Agreement for the Nuba Mountains. It was that Britain that first established a separate administration for the Nuba Moutains with its 1926 "Closed District Ordinance".

We hope that Britain’s historical understanding of Sudan’s complexities will add significant weight to the current peace initiatives.

The American intervention led by former Senator John Danforth resulted in the current Nuba cease-fire. Perhaps Alan Galty will be able to negotiate something more substantial. Sudan’s conflict requires a political settlement, not merely uninpended access for humanitarian relief.