Fresh clashes between rebels and Sudan army leave ‘dozens killed’

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) announced seizing the village of Ishma at about 8 kilometers from Nyala in South Darfur on Sunday, 24 hours after seizing Muhajeriya and Labado in East Darfur. Adam Saleh, the movement’s military spokesman, said in an interview with Radio Dabanga that SLM-MM seized the village of Ishma at about 8 kilometers from Nyala on Sunday and explained that the village is a ‘strategic point’ from which the movement is able to monitor the government troops’ movements inside the city. On Saturday SLM-MM troops seized the towns of Muhajeriya and Labado in East Darfur and according to the spokesman the government lost around 100 troops in the battle and four Land Cruiser vehicles with heavy weapons. The UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) confirmed the battle, and added they had been assaulted in the early morning on Saturday.   UNAMID personnel reported several possible air strikes and a press statement issued on Sunday evening said that “thousands of civilians, many with their livestock, are concentrated around UNAMID team sites in Muhajeriya and Labado for protection. File photo