Sudan’s army says routed rebel forces around Talodi

April 21, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced on Saturday that it repulsed fresh attempts by rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army North (SPLM/A-N) to capture areas around Talodi town in South Kordofan State.

SAF’s official spokesman, Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad, told the Sudanese Media Center (SMC), a pro-government news website, that their forces had managed to completely defeat SPLA-N forces which, according to him, left behind a great number of dead soldiers as well as materiel.

The army spokesman added that their forces were still chasing the remnants of the rebels’ in order to force them to retreat behind the 1956 border with neighbouring South Sudan.

Similarly, the governor of South Darfur State in western Sudan, Hamad Isma’il, said on Saturday that SAF had re-captured in his state the areas of Um Dafoug, Sisban and Hofrat Al-Nuhas into which rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement Minnawi faction (SLM-MN) entered in the last few days.

Addressing a public rally in the state’s capital Nyala, the governor said that SAF fought a “decisive battle” on Friday against the invading forces and killed 300 rebels.

Isma’il told the crowd that SAF’s motto in fighting the rebels is “don’t bring back anyone alive” adding that the army is well prepared to repulse any attack from across his state’s borders with South Sudan.

His called echoed that of South Kordofan governor Ahmed Haroun who, in a video obtained by Al Jazeera, instructs his troops not take any prisoners in the course of their fighting with the SPLM-N.

Al Jazeera English | Sudan governor to troops: ‘Take no prisoners’ | 31 March 2012

Haroun has expressed fury over video footage and has vowed to sue the Qatar-based broadcaster.

“You must hand over the place clean. Rub it, crush it and sweep it. Don’t bring them back alive. We have no space for them” the undated film showed Haroun as saying at what al-Jazeera says was a base freshly captured by Khartoum from Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N).

An army commander standing near Haroun then says: “Don’t bring them back, eat them alive” amid laughter by the group in the video.

“Don’t create an administrative burden for us [by bringing back prisoners alive]” Haroun said.

(ST)

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