‘Second offensive on Darfur’s Jebel Marra to start soon’: rebel leader

The Sudanese government is preparing a second offensive on rebel strongholds in Jebel Marra, according to Abdelwahid El Nur, leader of the mainstream Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-AW). 

El Nur told Radio Dabanga today that “more than 1,000 military vehicles are currently on their way to Jebel Marra, coming from two directions.”

“The army forces and allied militiamen sent by Khartoum are doomed to be overwhelmingly defeated, as happened with their predecessors [of the first offensive that started mid-January].”

The rebel leader strongly denounced “the ongoing aerial bombardments targeting innocent civilians in Jebel Marra, Blue Nile State, and the Nuba Mountains, instead of the rebel fighters”.

‘The Voice of the Truth’

Field commander Ibrahim Salih Mohamed, spokesman for the military convoy operating under the name ‘The Voice of the Truth’, claimed to be speaking to Radio Dabanga from Turung Tawra. He caimed that the army took control over the area of Turey, Sola, Fanda Tur, Sabun El Fagur, Tora, Feina, and Turung Tawra two weeks ago.

He denied that the SLM-AW rebel fighters caused heavy losses to the government troops. “On the contrary, we captured six rebel fighters and seized 15 Dushka machineguns, a number of cannons and other machineguns.”

The army commander strongly denied assaults on civilians in these areas. “We are here to protect the citizens, not to attack them. We are only targeting the rebels who took up arms against the State.”