Town receives 150 displaced daily from Jildu, C. Darfur

Residents of Nertiti city, Central Darfur, claim the town is receiving 150 displaced “every day, for the last five consecutive days”. They asserted these people are coming from the Jildu garrison and Golo areas, which are allegedly disputed by rebels and by the Sudanese army. The majority of the displaced are women, children and elderly, sources told Radio Dabanga. According to them, these people are now “wandering through the town, living under the shade of trees and around public squares, without food or medicine”. Nertiti residents called the situation of the displaced “tragic”. Jildu’s former residents told Radio Dabanga their villages had been bombed by the Sudanese Air Forces and appealed to local authorities and humanitarian organizations to speed-up their provision of food, medicine and shelter. On Tuesday, Central Darfur’s governor informed UNAMID that “armed groups had taken control of the towns of Golo and Rockero in west Jebel Marra”, a mission’s statement read.He also said that about 850 families have been displaced and fled to Nertiti as a result of the fighting, while others are believed to be wandering in the mountains seeking safety. Rattling weapons Various sources from Nertiti locality told Radio Dabanga they heard sounds of gunshots and of rattling weapons coming from the Jildu garrison area.  The clatters were allegedly heard during the whole day on both Wednesday and Thursday and witnesses claimed seeing a government airplane flying over the region during the same period. “The fighting between the rebels on one side, and the government and its militias on the other, has not ceased since the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdel Wahid (SLM-AW) entered Jildu”, sources affirmed. Lastly, onlookers said they never saw such a large concentration of military forces in the area before.Fighting in the region reportedly broke out on 23 December, when the SLM-AW claimed to have captured the Jildu garrison, leaving the government with only two strongholds in the area. According to some testimonies, ground offensives by the government are coupled with aerial bombings of several nearby villages. Dozens have died so far according to several reports, including civilians.On Wednesday, the Sudanese army declared they are in full control of the Jildu garisson area. Jildu is an important junction that connects East and West Jebel Marra, located near the central town of Golo in Central Darfur.  Related: Army in control of C. Darfur’s Jildu, 30 rebels killed: SAF (9 January 2013)