Sudan’s army threatens escalation against Darfur rebels

January 9, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan armed forces (SAF) have threatened to ramp up its operations against Darfur rebels in case they attempt to cross the borders between the western region and the neighbouring state of South Sudan.

Quoted by the Sudanese Media Center (SMC), a government-sponsored agency, the army’s spokesperson, Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad, on Monday said that SAF would escalate its operation to eliminate the remaining pockets of Darfur rebels should they attempt to traverse the borders between Darfur and South Sudan.

Khartoum has accused its southern neighbours in Juba of supporting and providing sanctuary to rebel groups from Darfur as well as to those fighting the government in the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile, a charge Juba denies.

In December last year, Sudan reported the alleged arrival of Darfur rebel group, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in South Sudan to the UN Security Council (UNSC), urging the international body to put pressure on Juba to refrain from supporting the rebels.

The army spokesperson said that their forces were now fully in control of the border crossings between Darfur and South Sudan. He added that military forces continue to carry out reconnaissance at the border areas suspected to contain Darfur rebels.

Sa’ad further said that they had detected movement by elements affiliated to the Darfur rebel faction, Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of Mani Arkoi Minnawi trying to cross the borders between South Sudan and Darfur.

The Sudanese army is fighting four rebel groups allied under the Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF) which includes JEM and the SLM’s factions of Abdul Wahid Nur and Minnaiw, plus the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) which is fighting in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

The allied rebels vowed to hold joint military operations with the aim of toppling the government in Khartoum, which they accuse of marginalizing their regions.

(ST)