JEM rebels clash with Sudanese army near S. kordofan oil fields April 19, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said Thursday its troops clashed with the Sudanese army near Kharasana, near the disputed Heglig in South Kordofan.
JEM and the two main factions of Sudan Liberation Movement led by Adel Wahid (SLM-AW) and Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) are part of Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), formed last November with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North (SPLM) which fights Khartoum in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The four rebel groups vow to topple Khartoum’s regime. However, the SLM-AW distanced itself from the fight over Heglig as the Sudan Armed Forces (FAS) accuse JEM of taking part in the attack on its troops by the South Sudanese army. In a statement released Thursday JEM military spokesperson, Badawi Mosa Al-Sakin, said they defeated the Sudanese troops in two positions in Kharsana near Heglig, South Kordofan. The rebel official, said the attack comes in the framework of SRF policy to dispossess Khartoum of oil revenue. Adding that two Darfurian small groups, SLM-Unity and a splinter faction of the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) took participated in the attack. The two groups are not part of the SRF but coordinating with JEM. On 13 April, a LJM splinter faction signed a merger pact with JEM. The deal was inked by Ahmed Hussein Adam, foreign relations secretary and Sayed Charif Jarel Nabi, acting leader of LJM breakaway group. The Sudanese army did not react to the statement. South Sudan is under huge international pressure to withdraw its troops from Heglig, in a bid to contain the conflict and push Khartoum and Juba to negotiate a peaceful settlement to their divergences. The rebel groups might seek to control areas the South Sudanese troops withdraw from. However, Khartoum says it would not stop its forces at the border if oil installations are damaged by the attackers. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
