Sudanese forces, rebels battle in disputed areas

Monitor Correspondent
Khartoum.

Sudanese rebels have shelled Kadugli city, the capital of the South Kordofan region, a few hours after the government announced that it had sent forces to the disputed areas.

The governor of South Kordofan state, Mr Adam Alfaki, said eight Katyusha rockets hit the city on Wednesday evening. He told the state radio that no causalities had been reported, but added that many civilian houses collapsed due to the heavy attack. “The bombs fell outside the city, but in a residential area. We are trying to account the causalities,” Mr Alfaki said.

“This attack is proof that the rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) - North do not have intentions of achieving any peaceful solution to the crisis of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states,” he added.

Sudanese Defence minister Yahya Mohamed Khier confirmed that they sent military reinforcement to the areas to eradicate rebellion. “We sent thousands of our forces to the both areas to enforce the rebel groups to come to the negotiations,” Mr Khier said. “They are not willing to solve the crisis peacefully, so we will push them militarily to the ceasefire truce,” he added.

However, the spokesperson of the SPLM-North negotiation team, Mr Mubarak Ardol, told Africa review on Wednesday that they expected that step from the government side.
“The government did not prefer the peaceful solutions to the crisis, so we are ready to all these scenarios,” he said.

“We are monitoring the situation on the ground and we will very decisively reply any hostile movement from government,” Mr Ardol said.