DEVELOPING STORY: Sudan army attacks meeting between UNAMID and rebel group

By Wasil Ali

March 9, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — A Darfur rebel group today said that a meeting it was having with representatives from UNAMID was attacked by Sudanese forces.

JEM spokesman Ahmed Hussein told Sudan Tribune by phone that the attack took place in the area of Juzminy North of El-Geneina and west of Jebel Moon area.

“This attack is a blatant violation of international law. We condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms” Hussein said.

“We want the UN officials including UNAMID chief Rodolphe Adada and Ameerah Haq to condemn this attack as well. This is not the first time UNAMID gets attacked by government forces” he added.

The JEM spokesman said that attack took place around 10 a.m. Khartoum local time and that a bomb was dropped by the assailants on the runway close to the UNAMID plane.

He said that the attackers came from the town of Suleia which was recently overrun by government forces.

“We repulsed their forces and chased them all the way to Suleia” Hussein added.

(ST)