Sudan’s SPLA-N confirms Friday ‘shelling of military sites in Kadugli’, South Kordofan

The Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) has confirmed that they shelled “military targets” in Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan on Friday morning. SPLA-N spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi told Radio Dabanga that the shelling targeted military sites within the city of Kadugli, and also within Kadugli airport. “This is where the SAF is stationed, and from where it fires the missiles that kill civilians in the Nuba Mountains,” Lodi said. “It was not our intention to bombard the headquarters of the UN forces at the airport,” he stressed. Lodi explained that the motivation behind the shelling was to demonstrate against the staging of the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) Kagame Cup tournament, which will be held in Kadugli and El Fasher from 18 June to 1 July. “How can the government host a football tournament in South Kordofan, when there are people going hungry or being killed by government troops in Darfur?” Lodi claimed his forces have “moved forward to enter Kadugli and take control of it and they will not retreat. The SPLA-N entered Kadugli from the western side and gained control of the Nimr garrison, which is located just 1.5km from Complex One Ahsia in Kadugli. “The rebel troops killed nine Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) members, and seized a number of machine guns and other arms,” said Lodi. “We also managed to hit a MiG belonging to the Sudanese Air Force. The aircraft caught fire in the air and crashed in a remote area of Kordofan”. Commissioner of Kadugli, Abdurrahman Abu Bashir confirmed the bombing on Kadugli and said that civilians were injured.  He condemned the bombing but said “the SAF is in control of the situation in Kadugli. The city is safe and life continues normally.” Speaking on behalf of CECAFA, Al Hadi Osman Andoo, the association’s South Kordofan representative confirmed that the football tournament would kick-off in Kadugli in a timely manner. “The CECAFA Cup tournament will take place as planned. The threats from the rebels, as well as this shelling, will only increase the strength of the citizens of Kadugli. File photo: Kadugli city Related: Rebels claim bombing Sudan’s Kadugli airport (30 April 2013)