Fighting moves to south-west Jebel Marra, Darfur

Clashes between armed opposition forces and Sudanese paramilitary forces continued in south-west Jebel Marra on Thursday morning.

The clashes took place in Fundug Badiya, between Baldong and Golol, in Central Darfur's Nierteti locality. A spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdelwahid El Nur claimed that the rebels managed to kill 45 members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A rebel fighter was killed.

Spokesman Waleed Mohamed Abakar added that they have seized various weapons and ammunition while one of the movement's soldiers was killed.

“The militias burned the Owa Ateem Quran School at night and attacked civilians during their retreat from the area,” Abakar claimed.

Exactly one week ago the SLM-AW also reported having repelled a military attack on the rebels’ sites at Buli and Aja in northern Jebel Marra, and claimed that the RSF damaged several villages during their withdrawal.

Spokesmen of the RSF or Sudanese army often refrain from commenting on military operations, however, two weeks ago the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the SLM-AW of carrying out isolated provocative attacks in Jebel Marra in Darfur to force the armed forces to respond militarily.

Shelling during clashes between government and rebel forces caused the death of six people and many others wounded in western and southern Jebel Marra in mid-June.