Darfur rebels report heavy battles with government

KHARTOUM: Darfur rebels on Wednesday accused the Sudanese government of launching heavy attacks in north Darfur, the latest in a series of violence in Sudan's war-torn western region.
 
Fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) have reported an upsurge in fighting in the past ten days, with heavy attacks on insurgent positions by government and militia forces backed by aircraft.

"The government attacked us early in the morning with many vehicles and militias," said Abu Bakr Kadu, a commander from the SLA-Unity faction, speaking from Darfur.

The fiercest fighting took place close to Tawila in North Darfur state, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the state capital El-Fasher, he said.

"There has been heavy fighting, and we have captured several vehicles. The government soldiers have retreated to El-Fasher, and the fighting is over now for the night," he said late on Wednesday.

"We will be ready in the morning again for them."

Rebels said approximately 100 government vehicles packed with troops and supported by Antonov aircraft bombers were involved, but the report could not be independently confirmed.

"There have been very heavy battles with the government around Tawila," said Ibrahim al-Hillo, a commander from the SLA faction led by Paris-based exile Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur. "They have been attacking us all day."

Thousands of civilians are reported to have fled recent fighting in the past week, with their villages looted and burnt by government-supported militias.

There was no immediate response from the military. However, a Sudanese army spokesman has repeatedly insisted that the only military action under way is against bandits responsible for a spate of attacks on aid convoys.

The clashes have come amid mounting pressure on Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir as he seeks to head off potential charges from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur.

According to the United Nations, up to 300,000 people have died in Darfur and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since rebels rose up against Khartoum in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 people have been killed.