Sudan Army denies reports its troops were killed

Khartoum, July 17, 2003 (dpa) — The Sudanese army Thursday denied rebel claims that 300 government soldiers were killed in fresh attacks by the outlaw Dar Fur Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM).

The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported that the attack allegedly took place in the town of El Kutum, located deep in the desert in northern Dar Fur region.

Army spokesman Lieutenant General Mohammed Beshir in a statement to SUNA said the army had captured eight four-wheel drive vehicles in good condition, and seized a large number of ammunition including heavy and light artilleries, from the rebels.

He said the army was in control of the situation inside and outside of the town, and had chased out the armed rebels.

Rebel captives were handed over to the authorities in El Fashir town, which is the provincial capital of North Dar Fur state, where authorities were investigating, SUNA reported.

On Saturday the warring parties to ongoing Sudanese peace talks met in Nakuru, Kenya, but they failed to reach a peace deal after a government negotiating team described a draft proposal as “unfair, contradictory and unfit to constitute a basis for negotiation”.

On Thursday, former U.S. Senator, John Danforth, a special envoy to Sudan from U.S. President George Bush, stressed in Khartoum Bush’s commitment to a just peace settlement in war-damaged-Sudan and the right to self-determination for the people of southern Sudan.