Joint rebels capture towns; North Darfur citizens protest

Citizens from Kalamindo, El Taweisha, and Alliet localities in North Darfur have protested in El Fasher against the attacks on their villages by the joint rebel forces of Darfur. The rebels have claimed full control of several villages in El Taweisha. A relative of one of the protesters told Radio Dabanga on Friday that “they handed over a memorandum to the authorities of North Darfur, the UN-AU mission in Darfur (Unamid), and the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA)”. He said the protesters also criticised the ruling National Congress Party for not moving to protect the citizens who were affected by the attack in the three localities. “More than 500,000 people were affected by the rebels’ attack”, Najeeb Mohamed El Amin, the spokesman for the three localities, claimed. He called upon the government to “relieve the affected people and provide them with humanitarian aid”, and to “implement the rule of law in these three localities”. Karoya Laban, Usban captured Meanwhile, the “Darfur joint resistance forces” announced they are in full control of Karoya Laban and Usban in El Taweisha locality on Friday. “The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and other Darfuri resistance forces captured Karoya Laban at 9 am and Usban at 11 am”, Adam Saleh Abakar, spokesman for the Darfur joint resistance forces and Minni Minawi’s troops (SLM-MM), told Radio Dabanga. He claimed that the pro-government militias had fled and left behind three vehicles, which they have seized. Abakar announced on Wednesday that after the joint resistance forces take control of the villages and the surrounding areas in the three localities, they intend to facilitate the formation of civil governments by the citizens of the region, “without any interference by the joint resistance forces, or the SRF”. File photo: Sudanese rebels (Derk Segaar / IRIN) Related: Rebel forces claim control of North Darfur localities (5 March 2014)