SPLM-N Agar accuses government of attacking its positions in Blue Nile again
April 29, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) led by Malik Agar said government forces on Saturday attacked its positions in the Blue Nile for the second time in less than a week.
Since two years the government and rebel group committed themselves to a unilateral cessation of hostilities in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan encouraged by the regional and international mediators and facilitators.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Sunday, the SPLA-N Agar General-Staff Command said the government militia Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Saturday launched a 10-hour attack on its positions in Soda area and Al-Jaghb area in Jebel Ban.
The SPLM-N Agar stressed its forces repelled the two attacks, killing 8 including the commander of the attacking force and destroying 4 vehicles in Al-Jaghb.
The Movement attached a document belonging to Captain Tariq Gibril Mohamed from the intelligence of Ingessana sector of the Sudanese army.
The statement further accused the attackers of committing crimes against the civilians saying large numbers of children, women and the elderly were forced to flee to the mountains to seek protection.
The SPLM-N Agar called on the guarantors of the cessation of hostilities including the African Union, the United Nations and the Troika countries to condemn the government and hold it accountable for the repeated breaches of the ceasefire in the Blue Nile.
It is noteworthy that the Jebel Ban is an extension of the gold-rich area of Kalgo which is part of the Ingessana Hills, about 32 kilometres south of the Blue Nile state capital of Ed Damazin.
Since April 2015, the Sudanese army launched repeated attacks against Jebel Kalgo to retake the control of the mountainous area which is considered a strategic area for the SPLM-N Agar.
Meanwhile, the official Facebook page of the RSF said the armed forces and the SRF troops liberated four areas in the Blue Nile including Goia Al-Jadida, Goia Al-Gadima, Kabadaik and Jeko.
It pointed out that the government forces inflicted heavy losses in lives and equipments on the “mercenaries”, saying further details would be revealed later.
The Blue Nile state and neighbouring South Kordofan state have been the scene of violent conflict between the SPLM-N and the Sudanese army since 2011.
(ST)