Sudanese troops join Abdel Wahid’s forces in Darfur

42 troops split from the Sudan Armed Forces’ (SAF) sixth infantry, of the Western Brigade of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, and joined the rebel forces in Darfur on 19 December. The defected troops moved into the Nuba Mountains and officially joined the rebel forces of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid El Nur (SLM-AW). The SLM-AW battles against the government forces in South Darfur. Corporal Abu Bakr Abdallah Haroun Bakhit, the force commander who defected from the SAF told Radio Dabanga that his military number is 941,208. It belongs to the Sudan’s sixth infantry of the military area command of the Western Brigade of El Fasher. He explained that the Land Cruiser they were driving was loaded with various kinds of weapons, guns and rockets.“Government plots against Darfuri” El Nur, also Co-Deputy President of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), has warned that the Sudanese government plots to deal with the issues in Darfur through development projects near the camps for the displaced. He revealed to Radio Dabanga that Sudan “is attracting international support” and partners for its plan “under the name of development”. The projects allegedly plan the distribution of land and services to the displaced, he said, “but they actually mean stripping lands from the displaced and refugees forever. They will lose the right to return and the right of compensation.” El Nur stressed that the solution to the conflict in Darfur is to “disarm the pro-government militias, to expel the new settlers, the return of displaced persons to their native lands, and collective and individual compensations.” He called upon the displaced not to respond to the government’s deceit, pointing out that the issue is collective rather than individual.File photo: SLM troopsRelated: Rebels claim control of garrison in South Darfur (24 December 2013) Rebels destroy military base in South Darfur (20 December 2013)