Darfur rebels kill 33 soldiers in South Darfur, deny abduction of aid worker
September 9, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The rebel Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel-Wahid al-Nur (SLM-AW) said they killed 33 soldiers during clashes with the Sudanese army in Jebel Marra, South Darfur state and denied kidnapping a foreign aid worker.
SLM-AW spokesperson Major-General Nimer Abdel-Rahman said Sudanese army troops transported by 43 four-wheel vehicles attacked their position in Tourain Taora near Kaas in South Darfur. He further denied that they captured a foreign aid worker or Sudanese soldiers.
“They invent some excuses to justify their defeat, we do not have any hostage and this is not our policy but they seek find something to say”, he stressed.
The rebel official said the fight resulted in the death of 33 soldiers and 49 wounded six of whom requiring critical care were transported to Nyala.
He also said they captured five Sudanese military among them a major. But Nimer was quick to address a call to the international red cross urging to contact them to hand the five members of the Sudanese army.
He said they seized 13 vehicles equipped with machine guns, eight machine guns besides other weapons and small guns.
The rebel SLM-AW inked recently an alliance with another SLM faction led by Minni Minnawi and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- North (SPLM-N). talks are still taking place with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) over the role of the religion in the state.
The rebel coalition aims to overthrow the government of the National Congress Party as they consider that the ongoing conflicts in the Blue Nile, Darfur or Southern Kordofan can only be solved through the removal of the Islamist government in Khartoum.
Nimer said they will announce during the upcoming days the political and military structures of the alliance. He added that JEM is not part of this structure but underlined that talks are taking place with them.
He also dismissed reports published by the Khartoum based Alintibaha newspaper that their leader Abdel Wahid Al-Nur was in Juba. “This is a false news because we do not see any need for his presence in South Sudan”.
“We do not want to involve the newly independent state in our struggle against Khartoum’s regime. And we can coordinate our action with the SPLM and Minnawi from Darfur, southern Kordofan or the Blue Nile.”
The rebel spokesperson also reiterated the call launched his leader earlier this week for a no-fly –zone in Darfur, blue Nile and southern Kordofan to protect civilians from the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in the three regions.
Yesterday the UNAMID based Cease Fire Commission held its second meeting and agreed to hold regular meetings twice per month. The commission which, includes Sudanese army and LJM rebels who signed a peace in Doha last July, is supposed to implement all the ceasefire agreements signed since April 2004.
(ST)