SLM-TC confirms clashes in Darfur’s Jebel Marra with Sudanese forces
April 26, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC) said on Thursday that their fighters have clashed with the government forces in Jebel Marra confirming reports about military operations in the mountainous areas of Central Darfur States.
Recently the SLM- Abdel Wahid al-Nur said the government militia are attacking their position in southeastern and northern Jebel Marra. But the government official spoke about operations to secure the routes and stop harassment of civilians by the holdout rebels.
SPM -TC chairman Elhadi Idriss Yahya told Sudan Tribune that their group “has dealt with government attacks in the north and east of Jebel Marra”.
However, he said they are no coordination with the SLA-AW fighters pointing the latter are based in the western part of Jebel Marra.
The SLM-TC splinted several years ago form the SLM-AW and its fighters carried out coordinated attacks with the SLM- Minni Minnawi in North and East Darfur states in May 2017.
The SLM-TC spokesperson Nurraldine Kouki, reaffirmed the group readiness to abort government second plan to commit “genocide and operate a comprehensive demographic change in Darfur”.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Thursday, Kouki said that government militias early this month burned the villages of “Vina and Duwa” and other areas in southern Jebel Marra after what they burned this week the villages of “Aru, Lugu, Malmal, Saliya, Tukmah, Kaya, Sankara, Kitti, Durkuru, and Ja’ahora “in northern Jebel Marra.
“The assault still taking place and faced by the resistance of the movement’s forces amid the continued silence of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID),” he said.
The rebel spokesperson further said the UNAMID should “assume the responsibility for genocide and demographic change”. He further added hybrid mission “is repeating its failed experience and its inability to protect defenceless civilians, as happened in Rwanda in the 1990s”.
UN secretary-general in his report to the UN Security Council last March mentioned military confrontation in Jebel Marra but said the operations continued to be limited to pockets of the Jebel Marra.
The SLM-TC which refuse to negotiate with Khartoum before to achieve a number of conditions similar to those posed by the SLM-AW issued a joint statement with JEM of Gibril Ibrahim and SLM-MM on 3 February extending a unilateral cessation of hostilities until 30 April.
(ST)