SPLM-N spokesman, Arno Nogotolu, acknowledged yesterday the breakout of fresh clashes with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) which are ongoing after more than twenty hours of continuous fighting.

He also confirmed that their forces once again took control of the area of Mafu which SAF had announced its recapture of a few days ago.

Nogotolu claimed that the SPLA resisted SAF attacks from early yesterday morning until they were able to defeat them, amidst aerial bombardment, and reach the outskirts of Kurmuk. 

“As we confirmed in our last press statement, we want to confirm that after an unsuccessful attempt by SAF to recapture Mafu area on the 17^th this month, the SPLA-N forces managed to resist all the attempted attacks on Mafu in order to protect civilians and IDPs. We managed also to chase them away to about 20km from Kurmuk town” Nogotolu disclosed.

Nonetheless, Nogotolu reaffirmed SPLM-N’s commitment to a humanitarian ceasefire and opening safe corridors in order to allow aid to reach people affected by the conflicts.

The SPLM-N’s humanitarian affairs officer, Hashim Orta, spoke with Radio Tamazuj in an interview this week that the humanitarian situation in Blue Nile has been terrible following the outbreak of war in the state last year.  This is particularly the case, he claimed, given the absence of humanitarian organizations in SPLM-N controlled areas.

The number of people displaced internally has reached ten thousand, Orta added, while the area of Kurmuk is suffering from a “drought and insecure areas where there is no food, drinking water or drugs.”

He went on to discuss damage wreaked by SAF’s aerial bombardment of civilian areas by highlighting that since the fighting began again last week at least 15 people were wounded and, without the required drugs, five later died.

A meeting also took place yesterday between Al-Hadi Bushara, the Blue Nile state governor, and a number of civil society leaders in Kurmuk to discuss the insecurity as well as the state’s development.  The state Director for National Intelligence and Security Services, Lyman Nur AbdalWahab, praised the sacrifices of state tribes, particular the Al Ragarig tribe, and urged them to join the government-linked Mujahedeen force against the insurgents.

Meanwhile, witnesses from Kauda in South Kordofan have reported that SAF launched aerial attacks on the town yesterday in dropping two bombs.  No loss of lives or property was reported although explosions of a similar sound were heard in northern Kauda.

Photo: Blue Nile state