Darfur rebel infighting kills 11, injures 17-AU

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM, June 6 (Reuters) – Internal fighting between two Darfur rebel groups has killed 11 people and injured 17 in clashes which breach a shaky ceasefire agreed more than a year ago, the African Union said on Monday.

Sudan Liberation Army rebels move through the desert east of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state November 8, 2004. (Reuters) .

AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said in a statement the rebels from Sudan’s western Darfur region should withdraw from the South Darfur town of Gereida, where heavy clashes continue between the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

“These actions of the rebel movements, especially the relentless pursuit and attacks on JEM elements by the SLA with heavy civilian collateral damage, are unacceptable and condemned in the strongest terms,” Mezni said.

The AU has about 2,300 troops, military observers and hundreds of civilian police monitoring the Darfur ceasefire agreed last April.

It said the infighting began in March when SLA forces expelled JEM from the last major rebel-held town in Darfur, Muhaijiriya, east of South Darfur’s capital Nyala.

JEM occupied Gereida town, south of Nyala, despite calls for them to evacuate and allow AU forces to takeover.

Mezni said SLA attacks on June 3 on JEM-occupied Gereida killed 11 people, injured 17. Some houses were burnt down. He did not say whether those killed were civilians or combatants.

“The JEM and SLA are hereby called upon to cease hostilities and pull out their forces completely from Gereida,” Mezni said.

“The government of the Sudan is urged to continue its current laudable restraint and the rebel forces are called upon to show similar restraint at this moment when all efforts are being made to reconvene the Abuja political talks on June 10, as scheduled,” he added.

Tens of thousands have been killed in Darfur and more than 2 million forced from their homes during a rebellion well into its third year. AU-sponsored peace talks are due to reconvene in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Friday after a 6-month lull.

The last round of talks collapsed in December after the SLA leadership boycotted talks because of a government offensive on the ground in Darfur. Rebel divisions have plagued previous rounds of talks, AU officials say.