December 15, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The governor of North Darfur state Osman Mohamed Kibir was unharmed by an attack on his motorcade during a tour of the region.
The pro-government Sudan Vision website said that the incident took place at Shangil Tobaya which is a settlement 70km (40 miles) south of the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher, a government stronghold and hub for aid workers and peacekeepers.
Kibir was accompanied by members of his state government and field commanders from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Minni Arcua Minnawi.
Minnawi signed a peace deal with the government of President Omer al-Bashir in 2006.
Sudan Vision said that the convoy came under fire from Minnawi’s forces in the area prompting government troops to return fire but no casualties were reported.
In recent days Sudanese troops have attacked Minnawi’s forces leaving one person dead and several wounded according to the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force.
Bashir removed Minnawi from his position as head of the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority (TDRA) and replaced him with West Darfur governor. Minnawi has been residing in South Sudan for several months drawing rebuke from Khartoum.
The office of North Darfur governor issued a statement carried by state media containing a warning to SLA-Minnawi figures that have refused to implement the security arrangements that are included in the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).
The statement said the government is eradicating the term of “liberated areas” used to describe areas controlled by SLA-Minnawi and is working to unify the administrative and security organs in those areas through members of the ex-rebel group who agreed to implement the security arrangements.
(ST)