Sudan’s Darfur rebels say not carrying out attacks

CAIRO, Nov 6 (Reuters) – Sudanese rebels on Saturday distanced themselves from attacks which have forced aid agencies to suspend operations and evacuate staff in West Darfur state.

A member of Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) walks with his rifle at Ashma village 30 km (19 miles) from Nyala, south Darfur, October 6, 2004.

Tensions have steadily escalated in the arid west of Africa’s largest country since 18 Arab civilians were taken hostage from a bus and a convoy transporting senior government officials through the region was ambushed last month.

An official from the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), one of the two main rebel groups in Darfur, said the SLM had not been involved in either of those incidents.

“We never captured any civilians … These reports that rebels captured 18 people from a bus are not true,” Abu Elgasim Imam, a political adviser to the SLM, told Reuters by telephone from the mountainous Jabel Marra region, where aid agencies have suspended operations.

Imam said Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) fighters also had no connection to the hostage-taking in the area, although JEM officials were not immediately available for comment.

Sudanese and foreign officials have previously said rebels are responsible for some of the violations of an April ceasefire between the rebels and the government.

“We are now defending against their (government) attacks in the area … We don’t start attacks, we only defend ourselves,” Imam said.

Imam said government forces had bombed a village 45 km (25 miles) north of Nyala in South Darfur state on Thursday, killing five civilians and wounding three. Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

After years of low-level fighting between mainly African farmers and Arab nomads, the SLA and JEM, largely African groups, launched a revolt against Khartoum in early 2003 complaining of neglect and marginalisation.

Khartoum responded by arming Arab militias which have been accused of rape, looting and pillage by international organisations and the rebels.

The United Nations has said 70,000 people have died from disease and malnutrition since March, a figure disputed by Khartoum. There are no reliable figures for how many people have died as a direct result of the fighting.