Darfur rebels claim deadly attack on Sudanese army

The rebel forces led by Abdelwahid El Nur claimed the killing of 27 Sudanese soldiers in Jebel Marra on Wednesday evening.

The statement by the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW) announced that the clashes took place in Torong Tura. “After their defeat the government forces burned several villages, including Boli and Arua, on Thursday morning,” the statement read.

The rebels claim that the Sudanese army burned property of residents in the process, “causing the displacement of hundreds of them. They are living in the open in a difficult humanitarian situation.”

El Nur has refrained from joining informal talks about the resumption of peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and two of Sudan’s main armed opposition groups, the SLM-MM and JEM.

Last week, consultations about the continuation of the peace process between the parties started in the German capital. The informal talks collapsed, for which both sides have started to blame eachother.

End March and early April, government forces attacked the areas of Sawani, Rokona, and Libei in East Jebel Marra. The areas are the last strongholds of the SLM-AW.

The area of Libei is now accommodating more than 50,000 displaced who have fled the military confrontations and militia attacks on their villages.

Activists told this station earlier that the villagers are still living in the open or hiding in caves after their villages burned to the ground.