Fierce fighting between government and Darfur rebels in Wadi Mora

Fierce battles broke out Tuesday in North Darfur between the government and a joint rebel force of SLA-MM, SLA-AW and LJM. The rival forces struggled in Wadi Mora, between Abu Zereiga and Shangil Tobaya.Ali Karbino, the overall commander of the Liberation and Justice Movement, told Radio Dabanga that the joint rebel force defeated the government forces, destroying 20 vehicles and capturing 30. He claimed that the rest of the government force fled to El Fasher and Abu Zereiga.

The LJM commander accused the government of violating the cease-fire that it signed with his movement, instigating the fighting with an ambush. He said the government force consisted of 137 military vehicles loaded with soldiers and weapons, and backed by Antonovs and MiGs and helicopters.

For his part, the spokesman of the Armed Forces Al Sawarmi Khaled Saad said that he had no information about the event. However, Al Sawarmi told Radio Dabanga that the news may be true, but exaggerrated. He noted that the forces of Minawi in the region are small and ineffective. At the same time he denied that there were any battles with the Liberation and Justice Movement.