An armed group allegedly affiliated with the Sudanese army-allied Joint Force raided the home of a senior tribal leader in Mazroub, North Kordofan, days after the town fell to army-aligned forces, according to the Kordofan Observatory.
The monitoring group said the armed men entered the home of the emir of the Majaneen tribe while he was away, allegedly searching for weapons.
Only women were inside the house at the time, the observatory said, adding that the fighters demanded that they hand over weapons and caused panic among those present.
The incident triggered anger among residents, with hundreds of members of the tribe reportedly gathering outside the emir’s home.
The Kordofan Observatory warned that the confrontation could fuel armed clashes and further destabilise Mazroub, which has recently come under the control of the Sudanese army and allied forces.
It condemned searches of civilian homes without warning and called for armed fighters to leave residential areas following the end of military operations around the town.
The observatory also urged residents to exercise restraint and avoid provocations that could trigger wider communal violence.
Sudanese army troops and fighters from the allied Joint Force entered Mazroub on Friday as part of an offensive across western North Kordofan.
Sudan War Monitor said videos it reviewed and geolocated confirmed the presence of army and Joint Force fighters in the town, although it said it had not found evidence supporting claims of heavy fighting inside Mazroub itself.
The alleged raid comes amid growing concern over the treatment of civilians in areas recently captured by army-aligned forces in North Kordofan.
TASIS last week accused the army and allied fighters of executing civilians in nearby Sodari after taking control of the town. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
