SPLM-N launches rocket attack on South Kordofan capital
December 8, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Monday acknowledged that the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) had shelled the outskirts of South Kordofan state capital, Kadugli using Katyusha rockets.
According to eyewitnesses, Kadugli residents heard rocket fire and clashes with machine guns besides intensive over flight of warplanes and sounds of explosions.
SAF spokesperson Col. Al-Sawarmi Khaled Sa’ad said that shells fell at the edge of town, but noted that there was no loss of life.
Sa’ad told reporters that the SPLM-N carried out a swift attack on Monday morning on Balinga area south of Kadugli, adding that SAF repulsed the attack, which he described as unorganised and lacking in clear targets.
He underscored that the situation in Kadugli is stable and that residents are carrying out their normal activities.
“We should point to the false statements being issued by the SPLM-N these days in implementation of what has been declared by some of its leaders in Addis Ababa [talks] that war and dialogue would be conducted side by side,” he said.
Sa’ad further stressed that SAF will continue to deploy troops to end rebellion, saying the scattered attacks of the SPLM-N seek to distract SAF from carrying out its major objectives of ending rebellion and consolidating foundations of stability in the state.
South Kordofan and neighbouring Blue Nile state have been the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N and SAF since 2011.
Meanwhile, the government of South Kordofan state has denied media reports that the SPLM-N attacked and took control of Kadugli.
The commissioner of the locality of Kadugli said the situation in the city is stable, while residents underscored that life is normal inside the city, calling for peace in the state.
This week, SAF said it repulsed two attacks by the SPLM-N on a checkpoint west of Kadugli in conjunction with the latter’s attacks on Blinga village, stressing that rebels had suffered heavy losses.
The commander of the 14th infantry division, Maj. Gen. Abdel-Hadi Abdallah Osman, told Ashorooq TV that his forces remain in full control of their areas of deployment after they repulsed a rebel attack on the army checkpoint.
Osman emphasised SAF’s steadfastness and readiness to protect the state, saying that his forces are still chasing the group that carried out the attack.
Meanwhile, SPLM-N spokesperson Arno Ngutulu Lodi said rebel forces had repulsed an attack carried out by SAF troops on SPLM-N defensive positions around Kadugli.
He said they inflicted heavy losses on SAF and pursued them to Balinga area, 10km south-west of Kadugli adding that they had seized two vehicles loaded with cannons, five Dushka cannons, four SBG cannons, as well as a truck .
Lodi pointed out that the attack coincided with another SAF attack on SPLM-N positions in Lofo area where the attacking force fled after it suffered significant losses.
Last Tuesday, SAF accused SPLM-N of launching attacks in Blinga and al-Atmoor villages in South Kordofan, which follows another attack the day before near Alahimar area.
On Sunday, SAF said it will deploy troops extensively across the country to enforce the state authority, stressing that they will continue their “Decisive Summer” campaign aimed at eradicating the insurgency.
The bulletin of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan (OCHA) reported that eight people were killed by aerial bombing and ground fighting between government forces and the SPLM-N in the period between 17 to 23 November in the provinces of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
OCHA said it received reports of substantial increase in air strikes and ground fighting in parts of the Blue Nile State without figures on the rates of civilian displacement.
Negotiations between Khartoum the SPLM-N stalled after the government delegation insisted that the objective of talks is to settle the conflict in the Two Areas, while the SPLM-N team has called for a holistic approach to resolve ongoing conflicts across Sudan.
(ST)