Sudan army increasing security around Abu-Kershola perimeter

May 29, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army is conducting combing operations around the recently-reclaimed area of Abu Kershola in South Kordofan to increase security around its perimeter, a military commander said today.

Brigadier General Adel Ali al-Kanani was quoted by privately-owned Ashorooq TV as saying that their goal is to make Abu Kershola as safe as it was in the past so that life return completely to normal.

In late April, rebels from Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), who aim to topple the regime of President Omer Hassan al-Bashir took control of the area as part of a wide offensive that saw them briefly occupying North Kordofan’s second largest town, Um Rawaba.

This week the Sudanese government announced that it retook Abu Kershola but rebels claimed it withdrew voluntarily for humanitarian reasons.

Ashorooq TV said that Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) seized a large number of military vehicles and equipment while destroying many others.

Its reporter said that he saw many burned vehicles and bodies of rebel soldiers scattered in the streets of Abu Kershola.

Sudan state media published photos attributed to SAF media allegedly showing burned vehicles and rebel corpses in Abu Kershola.

The area’s mayor Mohamed Ismail said that rebels ransacked Abu Kershola leaving it in a state of destruction by looting the market and houses and taking medicine out of the hospital.

He pointed out that a committee formed by the state government of South Kordofan including a number of ministers and advisers arrived in Abu Kershola to inspect the situation and get in touch with citizens who persevered over the past period.

A local committee is working on assisting displaced residents with returning to their homes. It has urged authorities and NGO’s to provide urgent humanitarian aid to help in their repatriation process.

(ST)