Darfur rebels ambush govt. convoy in Jebel Marra

The Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) claims its combatants attacked a convoy of army troops and members of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces near Golo in Jebel Marra on Thursday.

“The convoy was on its way to Golo,” Waleed Abakar, the movement's military spokesman told Radio Dabanga on Friday.

“We managed to kill and wound a number of army troops and militiamen, including three officers. One of them is a colonel named Abuzeid Mohamed Ahmed,” he said. “Our fighters also destroyed three of their Land Cruisers and seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition.”

The spokesmen accused the government forces of attacking people and raping a number of women in the area of Dubo Naira, a kilometre and a half from Golo.

‘Last strongholds’

Since early March this year, the Sudanese army and allied militias launched new attacks on various areas in the Jebel Marra massive in Central Darfur, in an attempt to eliminate the last strongholds of the SLM-AW, the remaining rebel group in the region.

At least 50,000 people were forced to flee the fighting and militia attacks on their villages. The USA, UK, and Norway have strongly condemned the violence in the region.

In mid-June, six people were killed, and many others were wounded by shells during clashes between government and rebel forces in western and southern parts of the Marra massif. In early July, the fighting continued in south-west Jebel Marra.

The government forces as well wreak havoc in the area. They storm villages in the neighbourhood, rob the inhabitants of their property, and rape the girls and women.