A/HRC/18/40 34. On 23 May, the President of the Sudan ordered the dismantling of the joint integrated units in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States, and informed the SPLA that its forces in the two States should either disarm or move south of the 1956 border. 35. On 5 June 2011, the SAF reportedly began blocking all major roads in and out of Kadugli. Fighting then broke out between the SAF and the SPLA, with the SAF claiming that the SPLA had instigated the fight by taking over a police station in an attempt to procure arms. The SPLA in turn accused the SAF of attempting to forcibly disarm the SPLA joint integrated units. On 8 June, the SAF began aerial bombardments and launched ground offensives against SPLA positions in and around Kadugli, Talodi and other neighbouring localities. The situation then deteriorated rapidly as the SAF intensified its ground assaults in several areas including Kadugli, Dilling, Rashad, Heiban, Kauda, Um Dorein and Talodi. Many of the civilians affected by the fighting took refuge in the Nuba Mountains. Wounded civilians made their way to hospitals around Kadugli. Civilian casualties were reported in Kadugli, Um Dorein, Um Serdeiba, Heiban, Kauda, Dilling and Salara. It was also reported that civilians were trapped in some of the localities as a result of roadblocks mounted by both the SAF and the SPLA. 36. The security situation has continued to deteriorate since 9 June 2011 as fighting spread from Kadugli to other localities and the SAF persisted with more aerial bombardments. Access to most of the areas affected by the violence has been virtually impossible. The conflict has led to the massive displacement of civilians. According to United Nations sources, at least 73,000 people have been displaced by the fighting. The Government of the Sudan has restricted access to the affected areas citing security reasons, and this has in turn prevented aid organizations from reaching those in need of assistance. 37. Since the fighting erupted, there have been allegations of serious human rights violations committed by both parties, including extra-judicial killings targeted at the Nuba people who are affiliated with the SPLA, house-to-house searches, arbitrary arrests and 14