After four people were shot dead at a bus terminal on Monday, authorities in Sudan’s unrest-plagued South Kordofan province imposed a month-long state of emergency.
The shooting in Kadugli, the regional capital, reportedly left four other people injured. No one quickly took ownership of the attack.
According to local media accounts, the victims were traveling to territories held by Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North militants when the shooting occurred.
Moussa Gabr, the governor of the province, called the shooting “unfortunate and bitter” and assured that the authorities will take all necessary measures to reestablish safety and stability in the region. He stated that the emergency status became effective on Monday.
Abdel Aziz Al Hilu, a seasoned rebel, is the leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, which governs a sizable portion of the region, including the Nuba Mountains.
It has been fighting the government for decades in an effort to achieve what it sees as a more equitable division of the nation’s riches and to end the elite Muslim Arabs of northern Sudan’s hold on power.
The military and the organisation agreed to a truce when Omar Al-Bashir, the Sudanese president for 29 years, was overthrown in 2019. However, friction developed between the two factions after a military coup in October 2021 derailed the nation’s democratic transition.