Sudan army retrieves Darfur town from rebels
Article
Comments (18)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
May 9, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) announced today
that it has expelled rebels who yesterday took control of Gereida town
in South Darfur.
JPEG - 36.8 kb
A member of the rebel movement Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) - Abdul
Wahid, escorts the delivery of 30,000 litres of water delivered by the
African Union - United Nations Mission in Darfur’s (UNAMID)
peacekeeping troops from South Africa, in Forog, some 45km (28 miles)
north of Kutum March 28, 2012 (Reuters)
SAF spokesperson Colonel al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad issued a statement
saying that two rebel factions from Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni
Minnawi (SLA-MM) and the other led by Abdel-Wahid Mohamed Nur (SLA-AW)
managed to take the town after their defeat in Kafan Dibi.
Rebel fighters fleeing the area moved north and started a looting
spree before entering Gereida on Tuesday, the army spokesperson said.
Col. Sa’ad acknowledged that despite SAF low numbers in town they
managed to engage the attackers until additional reinforcements were
sent that eventually evicted the rebels.
He added that the army is still pursuing remnants of the assailants
and is combing the area.
Gereida is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Nyala, the South
Darfur state capital.
The military official also declared that the disputed border area of
Kafya Kingi has been "liberated" from South Sudan’s army (SPLA)
fighters. It lies 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Kafan Dibi.
He said they inflicted heavy losses on the "outlaws" while suffering
an unspecified number of deaths and injuries among SAF troops.
A spokesman for the SLA-MM Abdullah Mursal denied to Reuters that
their fighters had been pushed out.
"We are still here, this is not true, the government has not entered
in Gereida," he said.
The African Union-United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said that
its peacekeepers resumed patrolling in Gereida and noted the
destruction in town.
"There were a number of dead and there was considerable damage to the
town infrastructure," UNAMID spokesperson Christopher Cycmanick told
Agence France Presse (AFP).
"Fuel had been stolen and some places had been looted" he added.
He confirmed SAF’s statement saying that "the armed movements had left"Gereida.
(ST)
--
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.
