Reuters AlertNet Lite - Darfur rebel group seizes Sudanese army base

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Darfur rebel group seizes Sudanese army base

29 Aug 2007 19:35:00 GMT
Source: Reuters

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Sudanese children, refugees from the war-torn Darfur region who crossed the border with Egypt into Israel, play in a yard in the southern Israeli village of Kadesh Barnea August 17, 2007. In a bid to counter the influx, Israel has said that people crossing the border illegally will be sent back to Egypt. But it has also said that it would help "a small number" of asylum-seekers from Darfur.
REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis

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By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM, Aug 29 (Reuters) - A Darfur rebel group said it seized control of a Sudanese army base in neighbouring Kordofan province on Wednesday.

Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader Khalil Ibrahim told Reuters his forces and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) Unity faction attacked the army base, some 200 kms (125 miles) from the border with Darfur and held by 1,700 soldiers.

But an army spokesman said the rebels had attacked a police base and the town of Wad Banda. The army had now surrounded the town where a few rebels remained.

Ibrahim said the attack was in retaliation for government attacks and bombardments in their areas in South Darfur state.

The attack will hinder peace talks due to begin in October. Previous similar attacks have provoked strong retaliation by the army during Darfur's 4-1/2 year conflict.

"This afternoon the JEM branch in North Kordofan and SLA Unity took Wad Banda, a strong army base," he said. A brigade of 1,200 soldiers and 500 central reserve police, a government militia, were based there and had fled the barracks.

"We have prisoners and have taken many vehicles... and ammunitions and weapons. We have small losses and injuries ourselves," he said.

An army spokesman said they had no base in Wad Banda. "JEM and SLA tried to take control of Wad Banda town," he said.

"Their main forces have exited the town but they have a few individuals left inside and we have surrounded all the roads leading to the town."

Many rebels' groups and commanders agreed a common negotiating platform earlier this month, and agreed to a truce if the government also agreed.

Both sides accuse the other of starting ongoing clashes in South Darfur state. JEM said it had downed a plane that had been bombing the area.

RESOLUTION VIOLATED

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Tuesday condemned the bombing as in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution.

A struggling African Union peacekeeping force cannot protect itself and has declared the area no-go because of clashes.

A joint U.N.-AU 26,000-strong peacekeeping mission will take over from the AU. British parliamentarians said they needed to use force if confronted to deter violence in Darfur.

"If they are seriously challenged they will have to respond ... it has to be with force," said Liberal Democrat parliamentarian Susan Kramer.

"The hybrid force will have to show that it's utterly determined and show that it will not tolerate attacks on the force or attacks on vulnerable people."

Mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing central government of marginalising the remote west. Khartoum mobilised militias to quell the revolt.

Darfur's conflict has spread across borders to Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). Presidents from both nations have accused Sudan of supporting rebels trying to overthrow their governments.

Late on Tuesday, CAR President Francois Bozize visited Khartoum in an apparent rapprochement.

"It's not in the interests of Sudan to disrupt the stability and security in your country or in any other country," said Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir after the talks.

"We are totally convinced that we can bilaterally ensure a successful security and stability situation in the area more than any foreign forces," Bashir said.

A European Union force has been suggested to patrol the Chad-CAR-Sudan border to prevent cross-border attacks by armed groups. (Additional reporting by Abigail Hauslohner)

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Last updated:Thu Aug 30 08:36:03 2007