Nuba Mountains (also referred to as the Nuba Hills) is an area located in South Kordofan, Sudan. The area is home to a group of indigenous ethnic groups known collectively as the Nuba peoples. In the 18th century, Nuba Mountains became home to the kingdom of Taqali that controlled the hills of the mountains until their defeat by Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad. After the Mahdi's defeat by the British, Taqali was restored as a client state. Infiltration of the Messiria tribe of Baggara Arabs has been influential in modern conflicts.
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The mountains cover an area roughly 40 miles (64 km) wide by 90 miles (140 km) long, and are 1500 to 3,000 feet (910 m) higher in elevation than the surrounding plain. The mountains stretch for some 48,000[1] square kilometres (19,000 square miles). The climate is semi-arid with under 800 mm of rain per year on average, but lush and green compared with most nearby areas. There are almost no roads in the Nuba Mountains; most villages there are connected by ancient paths that cannot be reached by motor vehicles. The rainy season extends from mid-May to mid-October, and annual rainfall ranges from 400 to 800 millimeters (16.4 to 32.8 in), allowing grazing and seasonal rain-fed agriculture.
The region stayed under the control of the central government and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement did not give the Nuba Mountains the right to join South Sudan in its vote for independence in 2011. Residents of Nuba Mountains were required to hold ill-defined "popular consultations" to determine their future.[2][3] Not only Nuba Mountains but whole South Kordofan state would be eligible to vote, essentially to accommodate the Messiria.[4] Additionally, the Sudanese government maintained heavy military presence in the region and even prospective "popular consultations" were seen likely to be barred.[4] The ambiguous situation and fears of future communal violence invoked concerns that South Kordofan could be the "next Darfur".[5][6][7]
As of June 2011, South Kordofan governor Ahmed Haroun had suspended the process of popular consultations and conflict between Sudan People's Armed Forces and Nuba fighters of the SPLM followed.[8]