SLA-MM ‘capture fuel convoy bound for Nyala’ in Darfur

The Sudan Liberation Army – Minni Minawi (SLA-MM) claims to have captured a convoy of 80 tankers carrying fuel destined for Nyala in South Darfur, intended for distribution to the five States of the region. Speaking to Radio Dabanga from the field SLA-MM spokesman Adam Saleh Abkar, said that at 1:00pm on Monday, his forces attacked and defeated government troops who were escorting the fuel convoy in the Tor Taan area. “A number of government troops were killed in the battle, and others were captured, along with vehicles and weapons,” Abkar said. “We are still assessing the full damages.” The incident is reminiscent of one in March, when a train carrying fuel was held-up by gunmen, also in the Tor Taan area. Details of that attack are obscured by conflicting reports. Abkar said that the fuel trucks were moving from the East Darfur capital Ed Daein, under the command of Governor Abdel Hamid Musa Kasha, who said that he had remained stationed in Yassin locality to ensure the arrival of the trucks to the city of Nyala. In a message to Kasha, Abkar said: “The trucks will not arrive in Nyala because now they are in the hands the hands of the rebels. We are going to use the fuel to enter Khartoum sooner or later and topple the regime.” He told Radio Dabanga that the tankers will not reach “the members of the NCP who kill the people of Sudan,” stressing that it is not the intention of the rebels to harm the people. Addressing the civilian population, Abkar said that they should stage demonstrations in all five States in Darfur. “That will collapse the regime. Once that happens, you will have easy access to fuel.” Services crisis The city of Nyala is already facing a severe crisis in terms of water and electricity services, which citizens attribute to a shortage of fuel. A number of citizens from Nyala told Radio Dabanga that the city is experiencing a deterioration of essential services and the lack of fuel, with a severe scarcity of water in most neighbourhoods, also caused by the interrupted power supply. The price of a gallon of petrol tipped SDG60 ($13.50) on Monday. Long queues of vehicles formed in the morning to obtain a gallon, often without success, while the price of public transport from the city centre to neighbourhoods on the outskirts rose to SDG3 ($0.70). Citizens attribute the reasons for this to the trucks that are supposed to come from Ed Daein, where they normally congregate before heading to other parts of Darfur in convoy. Some residents expressed fears that situation might escalate and they warned that surgery may even be halted at the city’s hospital if the situation continues as it is now. They demanded that authorities intervene immediately to save them. File photo: Vehicles queueing for petrol in Nyala Related: Darfur train holdup leaves one dead (27 March 2013)