SRF kills 21 government troops

The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) announced it killed 21 government troops and seven pro-government militia elements in a battle against government forces in South Kordofan, on Sunday October 14. The SRF added the battle, which took place in the village of Umm Dehelib, lasted for more than 13 hours. Arno Ngutolo Lodi, SPLA-N military spokesman, told Radio Dabanga that government troops suffered heavy losses during the battle. He described the government’s announcement about capturing an SRF soldier as ‘propaganda’ and invalid. Lodi emphasized that SRF withdrew its troops to the outskirts of the area for ‘strategic reasons’, he added to Radio Dabanga. Satellite images On the other hand, activists told Radio Dabanga that they filmed an attack carried out by Sudanese security forces that happened in May 2011 in the Nuba Mountains, South Kordofan. Speaking to Radio Dabanga on Tuesday, October 16, the activists accused security forces of burning and looting villages in the area and claimed they have satellite images and videos to prove it. The group, Satellite Sentinel Project, whose founders include actor George Clooney, and Enough Project, also claimed that the Sudanese Central Reserve Forces (Abu Tira), attacked Gardud al Badry on May 18 and bombarded the village on July 29 of this year. Repeat of Darfur John Prendergast, co-founder of Enough Project, accuses the government of Sudan of committing crimes against humanity through a campaign of ‘targeted’ violence. Prendergast said in a press statement ‘we are seeing a repeat of Darfur without the international witnesses’. Human Rights Watch accused the Sudanese army of randomly bombing the Nuba Mountains, targeting civilians, activists added to Radio Dabanga. Related content: SRF ‘liberates’ Surkum (15 October 2012)