Sudan’s eastern rebels claim holding officials hostage

KHARTOUM, May 25, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — According to Sakanab website, the rebel Eastern Front captured yesterday two administrative officers, three soldiers, some state assemblymen.

Rebels from Sudan’s Eastern Front parade during a conference held by the Front north of Kassala town, near the Eritrean border. (AFP).

Unconfirmed sources told Sudan Tribune that elements from Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) participated in this operation.

The source said Eastern rebels carried out this operation to proptest against the hold of a conference on eastern Sudan crisis with the participation of traditional tribal leaders, while Khartoum promised to negotiate the issue of the region with them.

Eastern Sudan rebels accuse the Sudanese government of not being serious about addressing their complaints of marginalization and stalling on promised peace talks.

According to a statement from the Red Sea state government, state assemblymen Mahmud Osman, Taj al-Sir Dafaallah and Eisa al-Umdah were seized as they returned from a government-sponsored economic conference in the neighbouring state of Kassala.

Sudanese authorities announced yesterday that three state assemblymen have been captured by rebels from Eastern Front.

Like other ethnic groups in other parts of Sudan, the Beja and Rashaydah tribes complain of marginalisation and demand a bigger share of the country’s resources. Its military wing has carried out minor operations in eastern Sudan