Sudan says closing in on rebel stronghold in Blue Nile state

October 27, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government on Thursday claimed that its forces are now on the outskirts of Al-Kurmuk district which is currently under the control by rebel forces.

The deputy governor of Blue Nile state Adam Abakr Ismail was quoted by Sudan official news agency (SUNA) as saying that forces loyal to Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) are escaping the area as a result.

Fighting broke out last month in the state which borders South Sudan and Ethiopia following clashes between SPLM-N units led by then Governor Malik Agar and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).

It is not clear what triggered the fighting, with both sides blaming trading. Agar was later sacked by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir.

SAF has reportedly managed to flush out SPLM-N from most parts of the Blue Nile except few areas including the strategic town of al-Kurmuk.

The army’s spokesperson Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad said today that SAF launched an attack on SPLM-N camp in South Kordofan state in Ingarto area which is 37 kilometers northwest of Taloodi.

Sa’ad said they seized a huge cache of weapons and managed to kill 15 SPLM-N soldiers while sustaining only one injury on SAF side.

But the SPLM-N denied SAF claims and issued a statement saying that repelled three attacks in Abri, Ingarto and Abu al-Hassan. The statement signed by SPLM-N spokesperson Arnu Loodi said that rebel forces managed to kill 40 SAF soldiers in these attacks and steal many weapons.

(ST)