Government forces yesterday morning launched an air and ground offensive on villages west of Deribat in East Jebel Marra, according to the military spokesman of the rebel faction active in the area. Nimr Abdelrahman, who speaks for the Sudan Liberation Army loyal to Abdel Wahid Al Nur (SLA-AW), told Radio Dabanga that air strikes focused on the village of Suni, which led to the flight of civilians into the mountains surrounding Suni. Speaking from the field, Nimr Abdelrahman described the condition of civilians in East Jebel Marra as very poor.<\/p>\n
Radio Dabanga could not contact the army for comment on the news. <\/strong><\/p>\n The SLA spokesman called on the UN Security Council delegation, which is due to arrive in the North Darfur town of El Fasher this evening, to visit the mountain area to see the scale of destruction, displacement and death caused by air strikes on civilians in the region. He said that many villages were burned completely. He described the situation of civilians as critical, noting that all the villages that were targeted by the aerial bombardment were obliterated and are now depopulated. <\/strong><\/p>\n