Fresh clashes between Sudanese army and SPLM-N in South Kordofan
November 26, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) on Monday said they had destroyed a government military convoy at Umm Kraisha, west of Wali area in South Kordofan state.
On the same day, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced the beginning of extensive military operations to end rebellion in the country, pledging to eliminate all rebel groups by the end of next summer.
In a statement released on Monday, SPLM-N spokesperson Arnu Ngutulu Lodi said that their forces inflicted heavy casualties on the SAF in Umm Kraisha, in the Nuba Mountains. He said forces had captured three tanks and more than 20 mounted vehicles.
The rebel official stressed that fighting is still going on in the Karko and Northern Sabi areas, west of Dilling.
Earlier this month, Sudanese defence minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein announced the beginning of summer military operations which aims to end rebellion in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile.
Peace talks between the two parties remain deadlocked after they failed to reach a common ground for negotiations. The government said it is only willing to discuss the conflict in the Two Areas, while the SPLM-N is demanding a holistic process.
In a public rally in Dilling, the commander of SAF’s 14th infantry division, Abdel-Hadi Abdalla, promised to bring the rebel groups to peace by force, saying the army had launched extensive military operations in conflict areas in order to bring the rebellion to an end.
Abdalla stressed that SAF carries out its duties and responsibilities in accordance with the constitution and the law, saying that it protects people against the negative practices of the rebel Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) who according to him target and loot civilian areas.
He also reiterated SAF’s ability to bring an end to the rebellion in South Kordofan state by the end of the next summer.
Meanwhile, the governor of South Kordofan, Adam Al-Faki, has vowed to solve the state’s problems.
He has also stressed the need to cleanse the state of the SRF who target innocent civilians and disrupt the provision of services, which he says adds to the already precarious security situation on the ground, particularly Dilling.
He renewed calls for rebels to engage in dialogue to end the war and bring peace to the fragile region.
He emphasised that the government is keen to protect citizens in SPLM-N-controlled areas and ensure their safety. He has called on local administration leaders to play a bigger role in convincing rebels to meet the desires of citizens in achieving peace.
The SPLM-N have been battling SAF and their aligned militia – the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) – in South Kordofan state since 2011.
(ST)