Sudan army, rebels blame each other for Central Darfur clash

Government forces and the fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) blame each other for a fierce clash that broke out between their forces in western Jebel Marra in Central Darfur on Monday. Each side accuses the other of launching the attack.

A statement issued yesterday by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF*) accused the rebel movement of attacking its positions in Jebel Marra, and confirmed that the armed forces responded to the attack.

The statement underlined the SAF commitment to the ceasefire associated with the current peace process, however in spite of that, “forces affiliated with the SLM-AW attacked our forces in the area of Boldon in Jebel Marra”.

The statement claims that indicated that the armed forces stationed at the site repelled the attack and put the rebel forces to flight.

SLM-AW

In its own statement, the rebel movement denied launching the Boldon attack.

SLM-AW military spokesman, Waleed Abakar, asserts that “the Khartoum government forces infiltrated and launched an attack on our control sites in western Jebel Marra, and our forces were able in return to repel the attack. Abakar claims that the rebel forces inflicted an unspecified number of casualties on the SAF, as well as destroying military equipment.

Abakar emphasised the commitment of the movement’s forces to the unilateral cessation of hostilities, pointing out that the movement has continued to renew it “in the hope of achieving comprehensive peace and completing the goals of the revolution”.

He also affirmed its strict commitment to all its pledges and pledges with the revolutionaries and the Sudanese people and not to follow the plans of the enemies of the revolution and change and the remnants of the former regime with the military and security apparatus, while emphasizing the right of the movement’s forces to deter any attack targeting their areas of control in Jebel Marra.

The SLM-AW refused to join the peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the country’s armed movements, currently being held in the South Sudanese capital of Juba. El Nur says he will only join peace talks after stability and security have been restored in Darfur.

* The SAF consists of the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), set up by the ousted Al Bashir regime in August 2013. The RSF militia was integrated into the SAF in August last year. At the same time however, the RSF stays a force unto itself, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, deputy president of the country’s Sovereign Council.

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