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January 6, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - Rebel groups in South Kordofan said they had defeated the Sudanese army (SAF) in different areas of the border state, asserting the failure of a campaign announced last month to rid the area of rebel troops.

Children sit in front of their shelter in Bram village in the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan on 28 April 2012 (Photo: Reuters)

The Sudanese Revolutionary Front’s (SFR) military spokesperson, Godi Rmboi, and SPLM-N official spokesperson Arnu Lodi released two statements on Monday dismissing a communique by the Sudanese army about the recapture of three areas in the western part of the Nuba Mountains.

SAF spokesperson Al-Sawarmi Khaled said on Friday that the army had managed to retake Trogi, Angolo, and Al-Dabkaya where forces of the rebel alliance, including the SPLM-N and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), are based.

“The joint forces of Sudanese Revolutionary Front managed to destroy and disperse eight military convoys (…) in a battle that lasted for 24 hours from 4 January at 3pm, to 3pm of second day of 5 January”, Rmboi said.

In a separate statement, Lodi claimed that on 5 January SPLM-N fighters had defeated SAF military convoys in Timbera village in Hieban county.

He further reported that SPLM-N combatants inflicted heavy losses on Sudanese troops in Abassya county on 4 January.

The “so called first phase of [Sudan’s ruling] NCP regime dry season offensive completely failed”, Lodi said.

On 26 December, Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir vowed to end Sudan’s rebellions, adding that a military campaign in Darfur will follow ongoing attacks on the positions of rebel groups in South Kordofan.
(ST)