Darfur rebel JEM seizes Sudanese army base in Kordofan
August 29, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A Darfur rebel group said it seized control of a Sudanese army base in neighboring Kordofan province on Wednesday.
Ibrahim said the attack was in retaliation for government attacks and bombardments in their areas in South Darfur state.
The attack will hinder peace talks due to begin in October. Previous similar attacks have provoked strong retaliation by the army during Darfur’s 4-1/2 year conflict.
“This afternoon the JEM branch in North Kordofan and SLA Unity took Wad Banda, a strong army base,” he said. A brigade of 1,200 soldiers and 500 central reserve police, a government militia, were based there and had fled the barracks.
“We have prisoners and have taken many vehicles… and ammunitions and weapons. We have small losses and injuries ourselves,” he said.
Many rebels groups and commanders agreed a common negotiating platform earlier this month, and agreed to a truce if the government also agreed.
Both sides accuse the other of starting ongoing clashes in South Darfur state. JEM said it had downed a plane that had been bombing the area.
RESOLUTION VIOLATED
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Tuesday condemned the bombing as in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution.
A struggling African Union peacekeeping force cannot protect itself and has declared the area no-go because of clashes.
A joint U.N.-AU 26,000-strong peacekeeping mission will take over from the AU. British parliamentarians said they needed to use force if confronted to deter violence in Darfur.
“If they are seriously challenged they will have to respond … it has to be with force,” said Liberal Democrat parliamentarian Susan Kramer.
“The hybrid force will have to show that it’s utterly determined and show that it will not tolerate attacks on the force or attacks on vulnerable people.”
Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing central government of marginalizing the remote west. Khartoum mobilized militias to quell the revolt.
Darfur’s conflict has spread across borders to Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). Presidents from both nations have accused Sudan of supporting rebels trying to overthrow their governments.
Late on Tuesday, CAR President Francois Bozize visited Khartoum in an apparent rapprochement.
“It’s not in the interests of Sudan to disrupt the stability and security in your country or in any other country,” said Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir after the talks.
“We are totally convinced that we can bilaterally ensure a successful security and stability situation in the area more than any foreign forces,” Bashir said.
A European Union force has been suggested to patrol the Chad-CAR-Sudan border to prevent cross-border attacks by armed groups.
(Reuters)