Renewed battles in Darfur’s Jebel Marra, more fighting expected

The Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) claims to have killed 37 government troops in the area of Turung Tawra in southern Jebel Marra on Saturday. New battles are expected the coming days.

The rebel fighters defeated the government forces in a battle in the vicinity of Turung Tawra, 15 kilometres north of Kass, SLM-AW spokesman Shamseldin Ahmed Haggar told Radio Dabanga. “We seized a number of cannons and large quantities of small arms and ammunition.”

He said that another battle between government forces and rebel fighters erupted in the area of Surreng in the north-western part of Jebel Marra on Monday.

People living in Tawila locality reported the arrival of two large convoys of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrived in the region on Monday.

The first convoy, of about 450 vehicles, came from the south, and passed the areas of Mashrou Abu Zeid and Katur, east of Dubo El Omda. The second convoy, of about 600 vehicles, coming from El Fasher, passed the area of Khazan Tunjur in the north.

The convoys were backed by the Sudanese Air Force. Fighter jets bombed both sides of the roads the convoys were taking.

The sources expect renewed battles in the coming days.

Map of the 'inner Jebel Marra', Jebel Marra Fact Sheet, 30 September 2015 (OCHA Sudan)