Darfur News Update by Radio Dabanga (8 April – 14 April)
The Sudan army and Darfur rebels fought each other fiercely this past week in several battles. Military developments on the ground seem to have strengthened the steps toward inter-factional unity taken by rebel leaders last month in Uganda.
Radio Dabanga received claims of victory from the rebels but failed to get a response from the army despite repeated inquiries. The rebels claim to have hit two helicopters: one on the Kordofan-Darfur frontier in the north-east, and the other at Wadi Howar in north-west Darfur. The two big initial battles were fought Friday and Sunday. The first in Mithbat resulted in the defeat of a
government force of 200 Land Cruisers and 8 tanks, rebels said. The second battle in Wadi Howar area resulted again in the defeat of a government force, consisting of 78 vehicles and 6 tanks, according to a rebel official.Scores of military vehicles were destroyed or captured.
There are other major developments on the relief front, where UN agencies and partners are trying to scale back distributions of aid and commercialize the relief through traders. Community leaders in the camps for internally displaced people, especially around Zalingei, reacted very negatively to this initiative.
Read more reporting from Radio Dabanga:
Rebel alliance claim to down helicopter in northern Kordofan
WADI EL MALIK (14 Apr) – The alliance of armed resistance forces in Darfur announced of the hitting of a military helicopter yesterday morning in the northern part of the Darfur-Kordofan frontier. … FULL STORY
Darfur factions affirm Bassolé as mediator, refuse Mbeki, Gambari
DOHA (14 Apr.) – Three major Darfur rebel factions have approved the role of Djibril Bassolé as mediator of the conflict, and refused to accept that former South African president Thabo Mbeki or… FULL STORY
Darfur rebels eliminate 65 army vehicles, capture 50 soldiers: spokesman
By Radio Dabanga — (12 Apr.) – Darfur rebels announced major successes in battles that began last Friday. They claim to have captured or destroyed 65 military vehicles including four tanks. The Sudan army so… FULL STORY
Fire at IDP camp near El Geneina kills 3 children
EL GENEINA (12 Apr.) – A massive fire broke out in camp Sesse for displaced people, which lies 40 kilometers east of El Geneina. The fire killed 3 children and destroyed three plots of the camp. FULL STORY http://www.radiodabanga.org
Journalists protest in Khartoum against arrests, confiscation of papers
KHARTOUM (12 Apr.) – Dozens of Sudanese journalists organized a peaceful protest on Sunday against the confiscation of issues of Ajras Al Hurriya and Al Midan newspapers by the security services. The… FULL STORY
Two battles waged in North Darfur
WADI HOWAR (11 Apr.) – Sudan government convoys clashed with the Joint Alliance for Resistance Forces on Friday and Sunday in battles involving scores of Land Cruisers and tanks. The rebel resistance… FULL STORY