The spokesman for the Darfur-based Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) has called on the visiting Security Council delegation to investigate rampant attacks by both the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed on unarmed civilians living in Darfur.
Nimr Abdulrahman said his troops are well-prepared to fight the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed.
“The government continues attacking for the last six months from the different areas in Jebel Marra Mountains and for that reason, the humanitarian situation is very bad for the people…and many of them are in very bad conditions.”
Abdulrahman said his rebel group has documentary evidence that proves that government forces backed by the Janjaweed are behind the stepped up attacks on villages and internally displaced camps in the restive Darfur region.
“You know that the Sudanese forces do not attack the SLA camps; the Sudanese forces backed by the Janjaweed they come and attack the villages of the people…the government came and bombed them , looting and raping and doing everything bad to them. That is why the Sudan Liberation Movement is moving to protect the civilians from the Sudanese forces.”
The visiting Security Council delegation has expressed concern about the renewed violence in Darfur ahead of the semi-autonomous south Sudan 9th January referendum.
As part of its four-day trip, the delegation is expected to put pressure on President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir’s government to speed up the referendum process as well as tackle ongoing efforts to resolve the Darfur crisis.
SLA spokesman Abdulrahman said the Sudanese army and the Janjaweed intensified their attacks shortly after the Security Council delegation arrived in the country.
“We in the Sudan Liberation Movement are making a strong appeal to the delegation of the Security Council to come and investigate these attacks. And we invite them to come to the liberated area to sit with the people to give them more details about the security and humanitarian situation right now in the Jebel Marra area particularly.”
Article by Peter Clottey, VOA News