Rebels claim victory in Darfur, Nuba Mountain battles

Both the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) in Darfur’s Jebel Marra and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) in South Kordofan reportedly defeated government forces on Wednesday.

SLM-AW spokesman Shihabeldin Ahmed Haggar informed Radio Dabanga that paramilitaries of the Rapid Support Forces in about 170 vehicles, commanded by El Zaki Mousa, attacked one of the rebel positions southeast of Guldo on Wednesday afternoon.

“They were backed by a large number of militiamen on camels and horses, led by Balla Nezel,” Haggar said.

“During the five-hour battle, 71 government troops were killed and wounded. We managed to destroy a number of vehicles and machinery, and seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition.”

The rebel spokesman added that the rest of the government forces fled in the direction of Guldo.

Dialogue project

However, according to the chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority, Dr El Tijani Sese, the military confrontations between the government and the armed movements in Darfur have come to an end.

During the signing of the first cost-sharing agreement with the UNDP in Sudan to support the Darfur Internal Dialogue and Consultations project in Khartoum on Wednesday, Sese stated that no rebel movement can challenge the government.

He said that there are small groups of insurgents operating in Jebel Marra, and a few other groups in the far north of Darfur, near the Sudan-Libya border.

SPLM-N

South Kordofan rebel combatants claim to have killed five security officers on Wednesday.

SPLM-N spokesman Arno Ngutulu Lodi told Radio Dabanga that rebel fighters ambushed a convoy of the security apparatus in the border area between North and West Kordofan.

“Apart from killing five officers, we captured eight other security troops. The SPLM-N fighters also managed to destroy a large wagon and two Land Cruisers, and seized another vehicle,” he said.