Rebels say they evacuated Darfur towns to protect civilians

May 29, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said it had pulled out of two locations near the Chadian border adding the withdrawal had been decided to avoid causalities among civilians.

Yesterday the Sudanese army spokesperson announced the control of Kornoi after the withdrawal of the rebels towards Chad. He stressed that the army would continue its military operations to clear the region from any rebel presence.

However, JEM military spokesperson Ali Alwafi said they decided to pull out troops of the area to protect civilians from the heavy air strikes conducted several times per day by the Sudanese warplanes on these locations.

On May 17 JEM fighters controlled Kornoi which lies on a key road leading southeast toward the North Darfur capital. The rebel group on May 24 attacked Um Baru which lies at 50 kilometers east to Kornoi.

But the army denied rebel statement about its seizure.

In February 2009, JEM had to evacuate Muhageriya, in South Darfur, after its capture from the SLM of Minni Minnawi. At the time, the army rejected a rebel proposal to turn the disputed town to a demilitarized area under the control of the hybrid peacekeeping force.

However the evacuation of Kornoi has been seen as a shift in JEM military strategy aiming to have the control of border towns in order to launch further operations inside the troubled province.

Announcing the capture of Kornoi on May 17, the JEM chairman, Khalil Ibrahim, told Reuters “We now control a very large area. JEM will proceed to control the whole area – the whole of Darfur, including the capitals (El Fasher, El Geneina and Nyala, the capitals of the states of north, west and south Darfur).”

(ST)