Sudanese army attack rebel positions in Darfur

February 25, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese army attacked rebels groups in the mountainous area of Jebal Marra to open roads in the troubled region of Darfur, said the spokesperson of the Sudan Armed Forces on Thursday.

Sudanese army and rebel groups since the end of last year intensified attacks and counter attacks in Darfur. Minni Minnawi, a signatory of Darfur Peace Agreement with the government rejoined the rebellion coordinating with other Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) groups or with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Khalid Al-Sawarmi said the government troops on Thursday morning assaulted rebel positions in Al-Sharfa south –west Tkmari in Jebel Marra killing 25 rebels and captured four vehicles. He further said they lost two soldiers.

SAF spokesperson stressed that the army would continue to carry out its attacks on the positions held by the SLM- Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW), SLM-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and other factions to provide security for civilians and open roads.

The UNAMID said civilians continue to arrive to IDPs camps in North and South Darfur fleeing the surge of violence in the region. The army and rebel groups clashed this week in Thabit and Shangil Tubaya areas, in West Darfur.

Adam Saleh Abakar, SLM-MM spokesperson, confirmed today SAF’s attack in eastern Jebel Marra. He however said they inflected heavy losses on the regular troops without elaborating and captured 18 vehicles.

A rebel official of the SLM-AW, Ibrahim Al-Hilu, said they lost only six fighters and the rest of the victims were civilians.

Sudanese government said determined to implement a new policy in the region aiming to return the displaced population to their villages and to civil society groups, gather tribal and political forces in the region to settle the causes of the conflict.

In Doha, venue of peace talks with rebel groups, the mediation submitted a set of new proposals to end the deadlock between the government and the rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) over issues related to the power sharing.

The government refused last December proposals aiming to appoint a vice-president of the republic from Darfur who is supposed to lead a regional authority there.

(ST)