Army clashes with Sudan Liberation Army in central Darfur
Rebels in western Sudan accused the government of more offensive operations there following similar reports last week. The army confirmed that there were clashes — after initially denying — and claimed to have killed 17 rebels. The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) faction of Abdel Wahid Al Nur said that government troops launched an offensive on Thursday and Friday at Jawa, nine kilometers west of Deribat in South Darfur. On the contrary, said the army spokesman, who said the army was merely clearing the roads of rebels at Jawa and Deribat. He said the fighting resulted in losses of vehicles and ammunition on the rebel side, while admitting four soldiers were wounded. According to SLA military spokesman Nimr Abdelrahman, the attack resulted in a number of civilian casualties, as well as the destruction of four villages in the area. The villages were turned to ashes, he told Radio Dabanga. A second SLA official, spokesman Ibrahim Al Hillu, told Reuters news agency that during the fighting the government forces killed 27 civilians. He was speaking by phone from Paris. Nimr Abdelrahman said that the attack was backed by Antonov planes and helicopters. The rebel official described the situation across the Jebel Marra region as one of looming humanitarian disaster. He called on the international community to intervene rapidly to avert disaster and save the lives of civilians whom he said were living under aerial bombardment by the government. Sudan’s army initially denied that there was any fighting. The army spokesman on Friday told Reuters news agency that the army was merely using the road between Deribat and Nyala, and whenever the rebels see army vehicles in this area they accuse them of attacking villages. Later, however, the spokesman called back Reuters to confirm fighting that lasted from Wednesday to Friday near the villages of Deribat and Jawa. He said they killed 17 rebels in the three days of clashes. Photo: SLA-AW fighter in July 2007 (Al Jazeera TV)
Rebels in western Sudan accused the government of more offensive operations there following similar reports last week. The army confirmed that there were clashes — after initially denying — and claimed to have killed 17 rebels.
The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) faction of Abdel Wahid Al Nur said that government troops launched an offensive on Thursday and Friday at Jawa, nine kilometers west of Deribat in South Darfur. On the contrary, said the army spokesman, who said the army was merely clearing the roads of rebels at Jawa and Deribat. He said the fighting resulted in losses of vehicles and ammunition on the rebel side, while admitting four soldiers were wounded.
According to SLA military spokesman Nimr Abdelrahman, the attack resulted in a number of civilian casualties, as well as the destruction of four villages in the area. The villages were turned to ashes, he told Radio Dabanga. A second SLA official, spokesman Ibrahim Al Hillu, told Reuters news agency that during the fighting the government forces killed 27 civilians. He was speaking by phone from Paris.
Nimr Abdelrahman said that the attack was backed by Antonov planes and helicopters. The rebel official described the situation across the Jebel Marra region as one of looming humanitarian disaster. He called on the international community to intervene rapidly to avert disaster and save the lives of civilians whom he said were living under aerial bombardment by the government.
Sudan’s army initially denied that there was any fighting. The army spokesman on Friday told Reuters news agency that the army was merely using the road between Deribat and Nyala, and whenever the rebels see army vehicles in this area they accuse them of attacking villages. Later, however, the spokesman called back Reuters to confirm fighting that lasted from Wednesday to Friday near the villages of Deribat and Jawa. He said they killed 17 rebels in the three days of clashes.
Photo: SLA-AW fighter in July 2007 (Al Jazeera TV)
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