Sudanese army retakes rebel positions in Jebel Marra: spokesperson
February 8, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese military spokesperson says the army is now in control of Jebel Marra, where rebel fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement – Abdel Wahid al-Nur have been resisting an army offensive since over a month.
“The area is safe and stable and roads are reopened to circulation, as they can exercise their economic and social activities easily,” he said.
Al-Shami further said the army “cleared” armed rebels from 17 positions in Jebel Marra. However he added government troops still continue to clear some remaining pockets.
He said the army seized large quantities of arms, ammunition, equipment and war materiel as well as inflicted heavy losses on the rebels in life and equipment without further details.
Since last January, Sudanese army and its allied militias carry out a large scale military operation in Jebel Marra areas on the positions of SLM-AW.
The government accuse the rebel group of attacks on civilians and commercial convoys.
The group leader Abdel Wahid al-Nur, however, denied the statement of the Sudanese army and described it as lies.
“I will say that is not true at all, that is a lie,” al-Nur told AFP by telephone from France.
He called the fighting “a tragedy, with the silence of the international community”.
Independent media and observers have no access to the area to verify the accounts from both sides.
The fighting in Jebel Marra forces over 44,000 people from Jebel Marra said OCHA office in Sudan last week. The UN body said 31,000 IDPs are now in North Darfur and 13,000 moved to Central Darfur.
(ST)