Sudan army denies claim Darfur Rebels seized Kordofan town
August 30, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese army denied a Darfur rebel movement claim of seizing a key barracks town in Sudan proper close to the embattled western region, according to newspaper reports Thursday.
The Independent daily Al Rae al-Aam quoted a Sudanese army official as saying that contrary to its claim, the rebel Darfur Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, hadn’t overrun the town of Wad-Banda in the West Kordufan province, which lies just outside Darfur.
The newspaper said that according to the military, only “renegade” groups tried to attack the town but that they were repelled by a small police force.
Meanwhile, the independent Al Sahafa daily Thursday quoted the commissioner of Wad-Banda, Sulieman Balla, as saying the rebels entered the town briefly Wednesday evening and fought with a police unit.
An unspecified number of policemen were killed and injured before the rebels pulled out of town, the daily also quoted the commissioner as saying.
JEM rebels and Sudanese military officials were not immediately available for comment.
The reports could not be independently confirmed but if true, they raise concerns of Darfur violence spilling outside the western region into other areas of Sudan.
Wad-Banda is a Sudanese army stronghold, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Darfur. JEM, a key rebel movement, was among several rebel factions that rejected a Darfur peace agreement in 2006.
More than 200,000 people have died in Darfur since ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated central government in 2003, accusing it of discrimination.
Khartoum is accused of retaliating by unleashing janjaweed militias, which are blamed for the worst atrocities against civilians in a conflict that has displaced over 2 million people.
(AP)