Sudanese army soldiers die in Darfur’s building mishap

August 3, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Twenty Sudanese army soldiers have tragically met their demise and 30 others sustained injuries when the building they were staying at in the country’s western region of Darfur collapsed due to heavy rain storms.

The collapse of the two buildings sheltering soldiers of the 15th Division Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) occurred on Tuesday in El-Geninia, the provincial capital of West Darfur State.

In response to the tragedy, the joint UN-AU Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNMID) said in a media release on Wednesday that it had assisted by providing a crane and other lifting equipment for debris clearance.

However, the subtly pro-government daily newspaper Al-Ra’y al-Amm on Tuesday reported that the soldiers who died were members of one of the Darfur rebel factions which renounced armed struggle, and were being trained in order to be integrated into SAF.

Heavy rain storms recently hit several parts of Sudan’s restive region of Darfur and destroyed 500 makeshift houses in Kalma camp for internally displaced people in Nyala in western Darfur, according to the Netherlands-based Radio Dabanga.

Sudan’s arid western region remains saddled with chronic scarcity of water and armed clashes. Sudan signed a peace deal with one rebel faction last month but other groups refused to sign and vowed to continue armed struggle.

(ST)