Five detained army soldiers released to Red Cross in Darfur

The Liberation Movement for Justice, led by Ali Karbino (LMJ-AK), on Tuesday released five Sudanese army troops, captured during the clashes in Nimra, East Jebel Marra. LMJ-AK handed the soldiers to the Red Cross in East Jebel Marra, where they were transported by helicopter to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, according to Mohamed Ahmed Yagoub, the spokesman for the rebel group. Yagoub stressed to Radio Dabanga his movement’s commitment to international humanitarian laws and the Law of War. The troops released are Abdelrahman Ibrahim Adam Ahmed, from Dar El Salaam, Suleiman Ibrahim Mohamed Osman and Abdallah Abdelrasoul Abdallah from El Fasher, Hubeldin El Haj Mohamed Suleiman from Kabkabiya and Hafez Adam Mohamed Ahmed, a national service recruit from Um Sa’ouna. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated in a press release issued on Wednesday, that the troops were handed over to the authorities in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. Three Red Cross delegates accompanied the five army troops to El Fasher. Prior to the journey, they spoke privately with each of them to make sure they were being transferred of their own free will. “So far in 2013, the Red Cross staff in Sudan have facilitated the handover of 78 persons: 37 Sudanese armed forces troops and 36 civilians, released by armed opposition groups, as well as five South Sudanese prisoners of war, released by the Sudanese government,” according to Jean-Christophe Sandoz, head of the ICRC delegation in Sudan.  File photo (ICRC) Related: LMJ-Karbino releases Sudanese army officer (13 November 2013)Red Cross facilitates release of five Sudanese soldiers by LJM-Karbino (6 November 2013)Darfur rebel commander killed in East Jebel Marra clashes (4 November 2013)Rebels claim attack on SAF and militia in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (3 November 2013)