Sudan admits army facing headwinds in its war against rebels
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June 13, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) has its
eye set on the capital Khartoum as part of a new plan that is based on
part on coordination with political opposition groups, a senior
Sudanese official said today.
JPEG - 18.2 kb
Sudanese presidential assistant and deputy chairman of the
National Congress Party (Reuters)
Nafie Ali Nafie, the deputy chairman of the ruling National Congress
Party (NCP) who is also presidential assistant, told the Khartoum
state legislative assembly that SRF chairman Malik Agar sent a letter
to South Sudan government outlining his new military strategy
nicknamed ’Plan B’.
He said that ’Plan B’ was drafted after SRF lost Abu-Kershola area in
South Kordofan to Sudan army in late May following a one month
occupation.
The letter stressed the need to "localize" SRF elements in major
cities such as Kadugli (South Kordofan), Al-Obeid (White Nile) and
El-Fasher (North Darfur).
But the army managed to block deployment of SRF fighters east of South
Kordofan state at a battle in Um-Burambeita, Nafie said.
Nafie reveled that the army will focus more on securing Darfur towns
to protect it from rebel assault and particularly in El-Fasher and
Nyala (South Darfur).
But he ruled out the possibility that SRF could overrun El-Fasher
adding that Darfur is mostly free from any rebel presence except of
few pockets with forces belonging to Sudan Liberation Movement of
Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM).
In late April, SRF rebels, who aim to topple the regime of President
Omer Hassan al-Bashir took control of Abu-Kershola as part of a wide
offensive that saw them briefly occupying North Kordofan second
largest town of Um Rawaba.
The attack was significant given the fact that rebel activity has been
mostly limited to the states of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
Residents said that the rebels were met with little resistance from
government forces there.
The Sudanese official pointed out that the defeat suffered by the SRF
in Abu-Kershola makes the Ministry of Defence planning ahead and
taking the necessary precautions with the necessary strength adding
that the rebels are determined to push ahead and never go back.
However, Nafie cautioned lawmakers that the army lacks the necessary
"deterring" force in the face of the rebels and implored upon the
Sudanese people to mobilize and beef up their support of the military.
Some Sudanese officials have privately expressed frustration with the
lack of response to their army recruitment calls in recent months in
the wake of stepped up military attacks by the insurgents.
Officials in Khartoum have also repeatedly warned about imminent rebel
plans to invade Khartoum.
"We need a major political and military mobilization campaign so that
the army is presence in all locations," Nafie said. He called on all
leadership figures with military experience to lead these campaigns.
Nafie claimed that SRF wants to move into the capital from the
direction of North Darfur and South Kordofan.
He linked this plan to the recent announcement by the oppositions of
the 100-day plan to topple the regime that consists of launching mass
rallies in different parts of Sudan. The Grand finale, he said would
occur in the latter part of June with the entry of SRF forces into
Khartoum.
In a related issue, Nafie said that averting oil shutdown announced by
president Omer Hassan al-Bashir last week would require South Sudan to
suspend the support they provide to RF rebels
"We will not open our borders to South [Sudan] oil that feeds the
rebels," Nafie said.
The presidential assistant however said that South Sudan is "victim"
to external forces which are dictating how Juba should act.
In September of last year, both Sudan and South Sudan signed a series
of cooperation agreements, which covered oil, citizenship rights,
security issues, banking, border trade among others.
However only last March, the two countries signed an implementation
matrix for these deals which was hailed as a major breakthrough in the
mostly tense relations between the two ex-foes.
The most notable provision in the agreement is related to resumption
of oil exports by landlocked South Sudan which were suspended more
than a year ago because of a dispute over transit fees. Oil started
flowing again in April.
But last week Bashir ordered his oil minister to shut down the
pipeline in response to Juba’s backing of the rebels.
(ST)
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