The only Darfur rebel group to have signed a peace deal with the Sudanese government accused the army on Thursday of having launched a deadly attack on the group and then having lied about its action.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), Liberation and Justice Movement forces came under attack from SAF (Sudanese Armed Forces) near El Fasher,” the rebels’ chief Eltigani Seisi said in a statement to reporters.
“Two of our troops were martyred and three were detained.”
International peacekeepers in Darfur had warned in October that implementation of a 2011 peace deal between the LJM and the government had hit deadlock, although this was the first SAF-LJM clash reported this year.
It adds to concerns already raised by the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) about worsening violence in part of the far-west region.
Seisi said two LJM vehicles had been located near El Fasher, the North Darfur state capital, for 10 days “and SAF knew very well about that.” But the vehicles still came under attack, he said.
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