Rebels call Sudan’s claims of victory ‘a lie’ as fighting continues in Malkan, Blue Nile

The spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), Col. Sawarmi Khaled Saad, announced on Wednesday that the army liberated Malkan at Angasana Mountains, Blue Nile state, from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N). The rebel forces said on Thursday that it is “a complete lie and media propaganda from the regime to cover up its defeat in South Kordofan”. Col. Sawarmi said in a statement to Suna News that the liberation of Malkan was the first phase of the decisive Dry Season Campaign launched throughout Sudan. “We inflicted heavy losses in lives and ammunition” on the side of the rebels. A day later, SPLM/A-N spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi told Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese army has not occupied Malkan. “This is propaganda to cover the heavy defeat in South Kordofan and Nuba Mountains in the last few days and raise the morale of their forces.” He claimed that the fighting was still continuing in Malkan, with the rebel forces of the Sudan Revolutionary Front in control. File photo: SAF soldiers in the Blue Nile state capital Damazin (EndGenocide.org) Related: Rebel forces destroy garrison, shell another in South Kordofan: SPLM-N spokesman (8 January 2014) Rebels claim victory over army convoy in South Kordofan (5 January 2014)