More than 100 government troops in Ed Daein rebelled on Thursday and declared that they would take up arms together with the rebel movements. The 103 Central Reserve soldiers mutinied in Ed Daeien Locality in South Darfur. They are known locally as Abu Tira. Their leaders told Radio Dabanga that all of the soldiers are natives of Ed Daein whom the government deceived into fighting against their brothers in Darfur. The rebel soldiers said that they will fight against oppression and marginalization by officials in Khartoum.<\/p>\n
Those who declared mutiny had been loyal to the Revolutionary Democratic Front led by Hassan Harran. Then in 2007 they signed an agreement with the government of South Darfur supported by the commissioner of Ed Daein and Brigadier Talha Madhu. The soldiers said they carried out many operations within the battalion but now they believe that the government has deceived them and they have learned their lesson.<\/p>\n
Three of the rebel leaders spoke to Radio Dabanga from the field. They said they think the government will not solve the Darfur problem and the regret not having joined the rebellion initially.<\/p>\n
ROLE AT BATTLE OF OMDURMAN<\/p>\n
The mutinous soldiers also described to Radio Dabanga their role in the Battle of Omdurman against the Justice and Equality Movement. The soldiers fought to stop the attackers from entering Khartoum after columns of JEM vehicles crossed thousands of kilometers to make a surprise assault on the outskirts of the capital at Omdurman.<\/p>\n
The soldiers said that they were newly arrived from Darfur when the attack occurred. In accordance with the agreement signed with the government, they were undergoing training. The soldiers recalled that they had not yet reached the training stage of using arms or units, when government officials entered the camp. The officials gave the trainees small arms like Kalishnikovs and drove them to the area of Omdurman. There were about 300 of them, 200 from Ed Daien and 100 from Nyala.<\/p>\n
Eventually the recruits found themselves surrounded by vehicles of the Justice and Equality Movement. More than 30 of their comrades died and more than 70 were wounded, said Hussein Mohamed Sadig Masbal , one of the soldiers who spoke to Radio Dabanga from the field.<\/p>\n
Photo: JEM vehicles damaged in the failed attack on the Sudanese capital in May 2008<\/p>\n