Sudanese army 'seizes' yet another rebel controlled area in Blue Nile

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Sudanese Government troops on Tuesday said they nad captured another rebel stronghold in the mountainous Blue Nile area, near the borders with Ethiopia.

The army said in a two-hour battle it was able to score yet another victory over a mutinous governor, Malik Aggar, in the Daim Mansur, 17 km south of the main town of Kurmuk, Blue Nile area, bordering Ethiopia.

The Spokesman of the Sudanese army Colonel Sawarmi Khalid, said the Sudanese government troops took over the town of Daim Mansur, near f Kurmuk town, “inflicting heavy causalities on the enemy” force of mutinous governor, Malik Aggar.

Aggar is a former commander within the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) that brought together rebels from north and south Sudan, to fight the central government and ended with the 2005 peace deal that culminated with the separation of the South Sudan.

With the independence of the south, Aggar was able to secure a post of governor in the Blue Nile region.

But Aggar hinted he might want a similar arrangement of self determination like the South, a clause not found in the 2005 peace deal, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The CPA speaks rather of popular consultations, which means people of what was known as the marginalized areas could be consulted to see if they are happy with the pace of development after the CPA implementation, and if not what areas could be improved.

Aggar believed this would mean self determination, and when Khartoum disagreed, he took the opportunity of a period of lull and laxity near the end of the month of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting, to attack Damazin the regional capital two months ago and declared war against Khartoum.

However, a fortnight ago the army attacked the stronghold of Aggar, Kurmuk, and president Omar Bashir performed the Hajj, pilgrimage, prayer in the area.

The Army, Colonel Sawarmi, told the state run television of Omdurman that “the Armed Forces have seized two tanks and big quantities of arms and ammunitions in a two-hour fight” with the rebels.

He said the Sudanese army also sustained unspecified losses, adding that his troops were currently “chasing remnants of the defeated rebels” at a nearby area of Yabous.

Sudan has been accusing the newly born South Sudan of providing military and logistic assitance to the SPLA-N, the south denies the accusations saying Khartoum was suupporting southern renegade elements.

-0- PANA MO/MA