Ex-rebel faction in West Darfur says attacked by Sudan army

A militia loyal to the former governor of West Darfur said that it was attacked by the army. The Sudan Liberation Movement faction of Abu Al Gasim Al Haj said that government forces came from El Geneina and attacked the movement’s troops in Mara, east of Mornei in West Darfur. According to a leader of the movement, Saeed Bahar Al Din, the faction informed the UNAMID peacekeepers about the incident and demanded that the UNAMID conduct an urgent investigation into the matter.The commander said that the faction has also asked for an explanation from the government about what happened. This source claimed in an interview with Radio Dabanga that a force of army and security personnel attacked the group, which was guarding farmers, and killed five of the movement’s members. The attackers seized five vehicles  from the movement and took control of the site.

Radio Dabanga called Colonel Al Sawarmi Khaled Saad, spokesman of the armed forces, who confirmed the attack, blaming the forces of Abu Al Gasim for setting up checkpoints to collect taxes from the citizens.

The Al Gasim faction is led by an ethnic Fur who was formerly part of the Sudan Liberation Movement of Abdel Wahid Al Nur. The former rebel formed his own faction soon after the Minawi faction signed the Darfur Peace Agreement in 2006. He and his followers signed the DPA in September 2006. As part of this deal, he was appointed as governor of West Darfur, a position he held until the April 2010 election.