Sudan’s Defence Minister Abdul-Rahim Mohamed Hussein has described the recent battles between the army and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in Al Nakhara area of Tulus Locality in South Darfur as “decisive”.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces clashed on Sunday with the Justice and Equality Movement in South Darfur State near the border with South Sudan.

The minister claimed that they inflicted heavy losses on the rebels in terms of lives and properties. The top official disclosed that the army had closed the border with South Sudan to stop any infiltration of the rebels.

This statement came after his visit to soldiers wounded in the Nakhara battles who have been admitted to a hospital in the capital Khartoum.

Abdel-Rahim pointed out that the JEM forces had received intensive military trainings in South Sudan for a period of one year and a half. He claimed the intensive trainings were done by foreign experts and other hostile countries under the auspices of the South Sudan government.

The intention was to cause major insecurity and disrupt the electoral process, according to the defense minister.

For its part, the Juba government denied the accusations of supporting and harbouring Sudanese rebels that are fighting the Khartoum government. Spokesman for South Sudan's army Colonel Philip Aguer described the accusations by Khartoum as “baseless and unfounded".