Sudanese army attack SLA rebels in North Darfur
May 14, 2008 (EL-FASHER) — Sudanese troops today attacked one of the bases of the Sudan Liberation Army in North Darfur State, a rebel commander said.
Suleiman Marjan, SLA leading commander in northern Darfur told Sudan Tribune that a Sudanese army force consisted of 45 vehicles attacked the positions of his troops in Jebel Eissa area at 05:30 pm local time on Wednesday.
Marjan who is one of the partisans of Abdel-Wahid al-Nur said clashes lasted for around one hour and his fighters succeeded to move away from the area to avoid causalities among the civilians. He added that his troops are safe and no death among them.
The Sudanese troops engaged large-scale military operations in northern Darfur to hunt Justice and Equality leader Khalil Ibrahim. Marjan two days ago told Sudan Tribune that his troops were in state of alertness expecting a retaliatory attack after JEM aborted coup in Khartoum.
He further said that the assailant force arrived from El-Fasher where is the headquarters of the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur UNAMID.
The SLA led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur did not take part in the attack against the Sudanese government in Khartoum.
Different reports indicated that SLA commanders declined JEM invitation to participate in the May 10 attack. However, this assault gives an indication of what would happen in the upcoming weeks in the troubled region in terms of violence escalations.
Marjan denounced the attack saying if Khartoum repeats attacks against the SLA positions, they be pushed to wage war and to resume military action.
“UNAMID people come and ask us to respect ceasefire in order to facilitate the peacekeeping operation etc… But it seems they are not able to impose this rule on the other party in the conflict.” Marjan said.
The head of the UN peacekeeping department, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, told the Security Council today that another major cycle of violence and large-scale human displacement could surge in the troubled Darfur unless the parties retreat from their recent state of confrontation.
The violence had forced more than 150,000 people to flee their homes this year alone, he said.
U.N. officials estimate that as many as 300,000 people may have been killed in the five-year-old Darfur conflict. Khartoum says the figure is only about 10,000.
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Pothwei Apet Bangoshoth
Sudanese army attack SLA rebels in North Darfur
Absolutely, I knew that one day when the time come for fighting, the Sudan Army Forces SAF will not differentiate between SLA and JEM. They will attack either Abdel-Wahid of SLA or Khalil Ibrahim of JEM arm forces at any time. That is why I say there is no need for Darforians to stay apart from one another. They should come together, sit down on one table, and settle their dispute areas, then confront the Sudanese gevernment by either ways: fighting or negotiation. My hope, is to bring a peacefull resolution by negotiatins.