West Kordofan in the context of Kaduqli

Kordofan (Arabic: كردفان Kurdufān) is a former province of central Sudan. In 1994 it was divided into three new federal states: North Kordofan, South Kordofan and West Kordofan. In August 2005, West Kordofan State was abolished and its territory divided between North and South Kordofan States, as part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. West Kordofan was reestablished in July 2013.

Sudanese nomadic conflicts are non-state conflicts between rival nomadic tribes in Sudan and, since 2011, South Sudan. These conflicts are common and typically arise over scarce resources such as grazing land, cattle, and drinking water. Tribes involved in these clashes include the Messiria, Maalia, Rizeigat and Bani Hussein Arabic tribes inhabiting Darfur and West Kordofan, as well as the Dinka, Nuer and Murle African ethnic groups inhabiting South Sudan. The conflicts have been intensified by broader wars in the region, particularly the Second Sudanese Civil War, the War in Darfur and the Sudanese conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Over the years, clashes between rival ethnic militias have caused significant casualties and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Notable violent incidents include:

The Nuba Mountains, located in the West Kordofan and South Kordofan states in the south of Sudan, are inhabited by a diverse set of populations (collectively known as Nuba peoples) speaking various languages not closely related to one another.

The vast diversity of languages among the Nuba Mountains indicates that the mountains served as a retreat area by many people in the past.