The perennial military offensive which the Government of Sudan (GOS) launched this year in the Nuba Mountains has collapsed. The offensive which started on May 22, 2001 was composed of six enemy convoys (namely Shahied Sham El Din, Shahied Amer, Shahied Jimy, Shahied Abufatima, Shahied Kurumba and Shahied Arabi) were detailed to capture all the SPLA bases in the Nuba Mountains before the end of the dry season. Fighting raged on for the whole of May and ended when the SPLA forces of the 4th Front finally repulsed them on June 2, 2001.

According to the SPLA commander of the Nuba Mountains, Cdr. Abdel Aziz Adam El Hilu, the enemy attacked in five directions which are Ago, Kalkada, Kudi, Ardan and Kummu. They had wanted to clear the SPLA forces at Heiban, but the resistance was so overwhelming that they had to withdraw - leaving over 150 bodies on the battlefield and many more wounded. As the enemy retreated, the SPLA forces mounted a counter military offensive and captured the GOS army garrison of Umsardiba on May 27, 2001.

In the course of the enemy dry season’s military offensive in the Nuba Mountains, over 8,000 houses of the Nuba citizens were destroyed and thousands of the innocent civil population were displaced.

The SPLA Command in the Nuba Mountains reported that twenty four (24) unarmed civilians were murdered and twelve (12) more were wounded. Three people including a woman had their limbs amputated.

The National Islamic Front (NIF) has been waging a scorched earth policy in the Nuba Mountains since the war erupted there in 1986. This has resulted in the subjecting of the Nuba people to untold atrocities with constant destruction of homesteads and forced removal of people to so-called peace villages where women and girls are routinely raped.

The rich Nuba culture is being destroyed by the NIF. As the NIF justifies its war in the marginalized areas a Jihad against "infidels" in the rest of the country. The case of the Nuba people (who have sizeable number of Muslims) is disproportionate.