Thousands flee clashes, air raids, in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra

Clashes between troops of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Friday, followed by alleged air raids by the Sudanese Air Force, have reportedly caused about 17,000 civilians in East Jebel Marra to flee and become displaced. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Hussein Abu Sharati, spokesman for the Association of Displaced Persons and Refugees of Darfur, said “Friday’s clashes and air raids in East Jebel Marra drove the people from their villages to settle in the areas of Kululu and Kele.They are living under trees with no shelter from the rain in conditions that are difficult, even for healthy adults,” Abu Sharati said. He appealed to the international community and aid organisations to expedite the provision of food, medicine and shelter to the displaced. He also called on the UN “to intervene and stop air raids against unarmed civilians”. In a separate incident on Saturday, a 75-year-old civilian was reportedly killed when the “Sudan Air Force” allegedly bombarded the Abu Zaid Agricultural project 50 kilometres east of Al Malam in South Darfur.Witnesses said that the bombardment, which resulted in the death of Hamdoon Mansoor Saad and his three camels, was “carried out in order to provide cover for a SAF military convoy moving for Marshang locality to Al Malam”. File photo by Albert González Farran/UNAMID Related: Women killed, injured in air raids on Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (24 June 2013) Woman, children killed by bombing in Darfur’s East Jebel Marra (16 June 2013) South Jebel Marra ‘hit by air strikes’ (5 May 2013)