Situation remains tense as Sudan rebels form alliance to oust President Bashir

Rebels in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile State have formed an alliance to overthrow the government of President Omar al-Bashir. The Alliance, named the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, purports to aim to implement a democratic political system instead of the current authoritarian regime.

Al-Jazeera report on this story: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/11/2011111313442277256.html

Ru'ya Executive Director, Zeinab Blandia talks about the plight of the women of South Kordofan

Our Executive Director (and founder) Zeinab Blandia spoke to Amel Gorani about the situation of women in South Kordofan. Find the article for 50.50  here http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/amel-gorani/on-record-women-in-south-kordofan

South Sudan Refugee Camp Bombing

Tensions are high between the Sudan and South Sudan, after Sudan majorly escalated the ongoing conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile by bombing a refugee camp in South Sudan. The camp was home to residents of the two embattled states who had fled the recent conflict.

Sudan denies carrying out the aerial attack on the Yida camp, in Unity state, just over the border from South Kordofan and Blue Nile. BBC Correspondent James Copnall was actually present at the camp at the time of the bombing and reported at least 12 people were killed and over 20 injured, many seriously.

Find the BBCs extensive report on the attack here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15678261

Ongoing violence in South Kordofan

Violent conflict continues in South Kordofan and neighbouring Blue Nile State.

SPLA-N rebels claim to have destroyed four government tanks near Kadugli town. Refugees who have fled across the borders to South Sudan and Ethiopia accuse government forces of mass killings and rape (although these claims has not, of yet been independently verified).

SPLA leaders have asked the International Community to withhold humanitarian aid from Sudan until it halts its assault of the resource rich rebel states (find a more detailed description of their appeal here: http://www.sudantribune.com/Arman-says-economic-assistance-to,40575)

There has been little in the Western Press about the violence, although Reuters and AFP have been releasing regular (if sparsely detailed) updates. The New York Times however carried an interesting profile of an American aid worker who has built a life in the region and has refused to flee the recent violence http://www.sudantribune.com/Arman-says-economic-assistance-to,40575

Not on Our Watch- Decide for yourself what's really going on!

Following on from our debate about if the conflict in South Kordofan amounts to genocide, Not on Our Watch  http://notonourwatchproject.org/ keeps track of troop movements in the region, using a satellite (funded by George Clooney and some of his altruistic Hollywood pals) to produce irrefutable evidence of what is really happening.

 Visit their website for accurate updates and decide for yourself what's really going on!

Heavy Clashes in South Kordofan this week

Find here http://www.sudantribune.com/Sudan-army-confirms-heavy-clashes,40594, an article by the Sudan Tribune on recent heavy clashes in the region.

The Sudan military claims there is no violence occurring but there are conflicting accounts, as reported in a Ugandan newspaper today here: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/18875-rebels-say-still-fighting-in-sudan-oil-state.html

BBC News Africa on Tuesday carried a good article on the recent spate of violence : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15529551 On their website you will also find a good archive of past articles and fact sheets which provide some background information.

Does the conflict in South Kordofan amount to a genocide?

Although relatively unknown to the outside world, dwarfed by the ongoing conflict in Darfur and overshadowed by the expectations of the new state of South Sudan, there are many who believe that genocide is occurring in South Kordofan. The conflict there is often referred to as "genocide by attrition". This would seem an apt description for the relentless and exhaustive assaults which have been waged against the regions residents, some directly sanctioned by the state and carried out by state agents, others occurring as an indirect consequence of the states policies.

But Genocide is a term which is used far too commonly; genocide is the most heinous of crimes- the attempt to erase or eradicate an entire race of people. The UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of Genocide (December 1948) defines genocide as "any number of acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group," Therefore, conflict or violence based on ethnicity does not always qualify as genocide as there is no ulterior plan to eradicate the targeted racial group; however, the convention specifically refers to "in whole or in part", which complicates the issue somewhat.

The Sudanese government may not be attempting to eradicate the entire Nuba people (by whom we refer to all residents of the Nuba Mountain region, including those who don't specifically identify themselves as being ethnically Nuba) but a case can certainly be made that their actions are commited with the intent of destroying "in part" the Nuba ethnicity. The motive behind this is to gain control of the abundence of natural resources which South Kordofan possesses.

In the coming weeks, we will be discussing the conflict in South Kordofan, debating if it is a genocide or indeed, discussing if labeling it as such even matters. Check back here regularly to keep up with the debate!