Darfur rebel SLA says govt attacks kill at least 20
Sept 13, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — A senior rebel leader in Sudan’s western Darfur region said on Tuesday the government had killed 10 fighters and at least the same number of civilians in attacks aimed at derailing peace talks this week.
“The government has attacked us for three days … First there is shelling and then the government’s militias attack us,” Abdel Wahed Mohamed al-Nur, chairman of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) told Reuters.
“The government wants the talks to fail,” he added, referring to peace talks scheduled to begin in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Sept. 15.
An official from the African Union, which is monitoring a shaky ceasefire in the area, confirmed there had been violence.
However, an armed forces spokesman denied government forces were involved in any attacks in Darfur.
Nur said the government was attacking SLA positions west of Sheng al-Tobei village, which is around 65 km (40 miles) south of El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state.
“Ten SLA soldiers and 10 civilians have so far died,” Nur said, adding government forces last bombarded the SLA on Tuesday morning.
The AU official said the violence was continuing.
“We confirm there has been an escalation of fighting in the area .. It is ongoing as we speak,” he said, adding that AU observers would be investigating shortly.
Sudanese and U.S. officials have said they want the latest round of peace talks to result in a peace deal to end the conflict, which started in early 2003 and has so far killed tens of thousands and forced around 2 million from their homes.
SLA and government forces clashed in the same area in July and the AU criticised the SLA for attacks on Arab nomads west of the village last month.
TALKS THIS WEEK
Nur said an SLA delegation was on its way to Abuja and had no plans to abandon the AU-organised negotiations.
“If the government carry on like this the talks will take place but will have no future,” Nur added.
In Addis Ababa, AU spokesman Assane Ba said he did not expect the Abuja talks to reach a final political solution to the conflict in Darfur.
“Thursday’s meeting in Abuja is considered crucial to reach a decisive, although not final, political agreement,” he said.
Ba also said the African body would resume a deployment of troops to Darfur. The AU said on Sept. 3 fuel shortages and bad weather had stalled the deployment.
“Deployment of more troops would restart on Monday and will continue until the number of AU troops in Darfur reaches the targeted 7,000,” Ba said, adding the troops would come from Nigeria and South Africa.
(Additional reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse in Addis Ababa)
(Reuters/ST)