Sudanese troops kill 11 rebels, displace thousands of civilians in Darfur’s Jebel Marra
September 9, 2009 (PARIS) — Sudanese troops attacked the positions of a rebel group near Jebel Marra in Darfur killing 11 fighters and displaced thousands of civilians; a rebel spokesperson and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) spokesperson said today
Abdal-Rahman Nimir, the military spokesperson of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLA-AW) said the government troops and militias attacked on Monday their positions Korma and Ain Siro in North Darfur.
The rebel spokesperson said their fighters repelled the assailants and control the mountainous areas. He further said 11 rebels were killed during the fighting in the two positions: 7 in Korma and 4 in Ain Siro.
Nimir accused the Chadian rebels of taking part in the attack. However he was not able to provide the causalities among the government troops.
The Sudanese army during the six-year-long conflict failed to dislodge the SLA- AW from Jebel Marra, the highest region of the Sudan which inhabited by the Fur ethnic group. Since the start of the conflict many civilians remain in the areas controlled by the rebels.
Hussein Abu Sharati, speaking by telephone to Sudan Tribune from the troubled region, said civilian from the areas around the attacked positions fled their villages and they are in bad humanitarian conditions due to rains that prevent them from joining the IDPs camps.
“There are six thousand civilians mostly women and children who fled their villages and now without shelter. Those who are in Korma cannot move towards to the camps while Ain Siro displaced civilians moved towards the Jebel.”
Abu Sharati, regretted the silence of the hybrid peacekeeping forces over the attacks which targeted the civilians. “The UNAMID is watching the attacks silently what is happening in clear violation of its mandate” he said.
“I hope this would not be considered as ‘low intensity’ attacks, he further said.
The IDPs spokesperson was referring to a term used by the former UNAMID chief Rodolphe Adada in a reported to the UN Security Council last April.
He further urged UN agencies and international aid groups to provide the needed humanitarian assistance to the civilians in the affected areas.
The SLM/A of Abdel Wahid Al-Nur refuses to join the Doha peace process and asks to disarm militias and protect the civilians as well as return them to their homeland.
(ST)