Sudanese army kills 18 civilians after attack in North Darfur

January 16, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army launched an air and ground attack on a position of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdel Wahid Al-Nur (SLA-AW) in North Darfur where 18 people were killed, a rebel spokesperson said today.

Last week the rebel group captured Gulu, the capital of Jebel Marra saying it wants to protect civilians there after the failure of the international community to press Sudanese army to stop attacks on civilians.

Sudanese troops and militiamen attacked today Souk Fruk northern-West Kutum in North Darfur state, said Ibrahim El Hilu, a SLM-AW spokesperson who added that the attack occurred at midday while the market was crowded with shoppers.

“As the area is under the control of the Movement, some of our fighters were in the market when the army troops arrived and started shooting on the crowd killing 18 civilians, he said.

The rebel official said the assailants had arrived ridding more than 200 vehicles from three directions — Al-Dor, Abdel Shakur and Kutum, after massif bombing by Antovov warplanes.

Describing the populated area El-Hilu said there are some 180 villages each composed of 200 to 300 families.

Also, he further denounced the attack saying they were avoiding during the past years waging war against the government troops but that does not mean they have no military capabilities to defend themselves or to defend the civilians.

The rebels loyal to the SLM/A founder say they are committed to a ceasefire concluded in 2004 but refuse to join peace negotiations requesting the government to stop attacks on civilians and to disarm its militias in the restive region before any peace process.

The mediation plans to hold talks between the government and the rebels in Doha at the end of this month to discuss a ceasefire and framework for the talks.

Commenting on the attack, the official spokesperson of the UNAMID Noureddine Mezni told Sudan Tribune that the “UNAMID sector north commander is in contact with SLA/AW field commanders requesting them to allow the dispatch of an investigation team to the area in order to assess the situation on the ground, SLA/W commanders promised to get back to us and we are still waiting for their go ahead”.

The SLA/AW refuses to cooperate with the hybrid mission criticizing its “weak mandate and its silence on government atrocities and bombardment.”

But the UNAMID continues to appeal for cooperation with SLA-AW stressing they are in Darfur in the interest of all the parties and in particular the civilian population living in these areas.

“We are in Darfur to work with all parties on the ground in a constructive manner and in full transparency, we are here to provide security and protection to civilians and to help them whenever they need us, therefore we should have free access everywhere in Darfur and the cooperation and understanding of all in order to implement properly our mandate and to promote peace and reconciliation,” Mezni said.

The United Nations experts say at least 300,000 people have died from the combined effects of war, famine and disease in Darfur, and that some 2.7 million are displaced by the seven year conflict.

(ST)