South Kordofan: Rebels ‘destroy’ military garrison

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North claimed the destruction of a military garrison north of Delling in the Nuba Mountains on Tuesday night. The rebel group said one man was killed in an air raid on Thursday.

The rebel combatants launched their attack on Zalatia garrison at 2am, under the command of brg. gen. Daud Ashaya Alful, the movement announced in a written statement.

“The garrison is completely destroyed,” spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said. The soldiers fled “leaving nine dead on the ground”. He claimed that on their side, three soldiers were wounded.

The rebels captured a 60mm mortar and seven RPG-7, among others. 

Lodi added that they discovered 11 soldiers in the forest near Zalatia. “They were among those who fled Haluf when the SPLM-N attacked a convoy in El Azrag on 6 April.”

Fierce fighting erupted in Delling area in the first half of March. Thousands of people fled their homes in the areas of El Firshay, Alwan, and Keder, a listener reported.

On Thursday, an air raid on the area of Nyukur and Sanjak in Dalami resulted in the killing of a 55-year-old man named Omar Hassan. Two children, aged 2 and 11, were wounded, according to the SPLM-N.

The Sudanese army has launched its 'dry-season offensive' against the rebels in South Kordofan in an attempt to win large parts of the Nuba Mountains from the grip of the rebels.

Informal peace talks between the Sudanese government's delegation and SPLM-N representatives in Berlin reached a deadlock in January, over the cessation of hostilities and the provision of humanitarian aid in the conflict areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Most recently, a peace roadmap proposed by the African Union, was signed by the Sudanese government, but rejected by the opposition forces including the SPLM-N during a constructive meeting in Addis Ababa.

They cited factors such as the ongoing conflict in South Kordofan among impediments to signing the agreement.