-
-
related tags:
tagged w/ SLA
-
The seven stories you missed this week: Terror, Sharks, Pumpkins and more
It's been a busy week in the news what with the UN General Assembly and now the G-20 in Pittsburgh, so we wanted to give you a quick little round up of some stories you might have missed this week.
Three terror arrests - Surely you heard that a suspect was arrested and indicted on charges of planning to blow up bombs in the US. But did you hear that there were two other terror arrests this week? That's right! One in Texas and one in Illinois. Both suspects believed that they had filled a car with powerful explosives and tried to detonate them remotely via cell phones, but the FBI had duped them with fake explosives. More from ABC News.
Uighurs and sharks - It was a big week for the island nation of Palau, as FP Passport reports. They have agreed to take in six Gitmo detainees, all Uighurs. And they delcared the world's first shark sanctuary in their territorial waters. More from FP Passport.
Daring art heist - A daylight raid on a Brussels museum netted a portrait by painter Rene Magritte. The thieves rang the doorbell, put a gun to the head of the concierge, and walked away with the painting. It's estimated to be worth 3 million euros. More from The Guardian.
FDA bans flavored cigarettes - In an attempt to discourage younger customers from picking up smoking, the FDA has banned all flavored cigarettes. Strawberry, chocolate and clove cigarettes were all seen as a gateway for younger smokers to begin the habit. More from the New York Times.
Related: We blogged this week about the success of smoking bans.
Pumpkin crop crisis - New England's pumpkin farmers may have disappointing news for Halloween. Apparently the heavy rains of June and July swamped pumpkin patches and will mean that many pumpkins won't be orange enough to send to stores in time for the holiday. Read more at Yahoo News.
New fighting breaks out in Sudan - The Sudanese army has reportedly begun skirmishing with rebel groups again in the Darfur region. The Sudan Liberation Army said that nearly two dozen civilians were killed in the clashes. Read more at BBC News.
Related: A video introduction to the SLA
Germany's going to the polls - Though no huge shake-ups are expected, Germany is holding elections this weekend. The big question is whether Chancellor Angela Merkel will be able to gain more power for her CDU party, or if they will need to continue ruling a 'grand coalition' government. Read more at Der Spiegel
Other posts from this week:
- Get pricked in Paris – France’s tattoo art festival
- Floods drench the South; I swear we were talking Southeastern drought just a year ago
- Leader of Philippines rebel movement captured – Setback for MILF rebels
- Red dust storm swallows Sydney – Video
- The tunnel-dwellers of Las Vegas
- Honduras stand-off drags onIt's been a busy week in the news what with the UN General Assembly and now the... more-
- afitzgerald
- added this
- 2 years ago
- |
- 0 comments
-
-
Sudan army 'threatens Darfur truce'
Sudanese armed forces have attacked the only Darfur rebel group to have signed a peace deal with the government, the group's leader has said.
Minni Arcua Minnawi, a leader of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), said four of his troops were killed and 16 wounded after coming under attack at their base in Kolge in the east Jebel Marra region on Sunday.
"They attacked us with Antonov aircraft, helicopters and tanks," he said.
Minnawi became a presidential advisor after his group signed a peace agreement in 2006 with Khartoum - the Sudanese capital and the seat of president Omar al-Bashir's administration.
He accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of attempting to kill off the peace process.
"We want to respect the peace process, but we are fighting in self-defence," he said.
"If the peace agreement is over, it is over from one side – the NCP side," Minnawi said.
'New offensive'
He said he was considering closing his office in Sudan's presidential palace in protest at the action.
Mohammed Bashir Abdullah, the head of Minnawi's office, said it was the first time the army had launched a direct attack on his men.
The SLA said the new offensive started a week ago and had continued daily.
Areas controlled by SLA fighters have been attacked by government troops in the past, but Khartoum has denied carrying out any military action.
Leaders from three other rebel groups confirmed the attacks near Tabit, at least 50km southwest of el Fasher, north Darfur's capital, and said that other clashes with government forces had occurred across the region.
'Residents fleeing attacks'
Sherif Harir, an SLA member, said: "Bombing has been continuing up till now," adding that air attacks had forced residents to flee 200 villages in the remote area.
Peacekeepers confirmed there had been fighting between government and rebel forces in which aircraft were involved.
"The reports that we have indicate there has been heavy fighting," Kemal Saiki, a spokesman for the joint UN-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID), told the AFP news agency.
"We do not have exact details. But with reports of more than 100 vehicles with troops, this is not just a skirmish."
Richard Williamson, the US' special envoy to Sudan, said the new fighting was unacceptable at a time when efforts were being made to bring a ceasefire to the country's troubled western region.
'Grave concern'
"The government should honour the ceasefire. This descent into violence causes grave concern about the humanitarian situation," he said.
The UN has said up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the conflict erupted in February 2003.
Sudan says 10,000 people have been killed.
The war began when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-led Khartoum regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power.
The conflict has since deteriorated with the emergence of a multiplying array of rebel groups, breakaway militia groups and bandits.
Sudanese armed forces have attacked the only Darfur rebel group to have signed a peace... more-
- goldenways
- added this
- 3 years ago
- |
- 12 comments
-
-
Sudan 'retakes' rebel strongholds
Sudanese government troops have moved in to control rebel strongholds in North Darfur state after two days of heavy fighting, fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) have said.
The fighters said on Monday that assaults on rebels' positions began on Saturday.
Government and militia forces battled the rebels, backed by attack helicopters and Antonov planes around the North Darfur towns of Disa, Birmaza and Tawila.
"The government are in Disa and Birmaza now," said Ibrahim al-Hillo, a commander from the SLA faction headed by Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur, an exiled leader.
"There is isolated shooting, but the Antonov planes are overhead many times in the day and they have been bombing," he added, declining to say how many casualties there might be.
Civilians hiding
Fighters from the SLA remained close to the towns but government forces now controlled them, with civilians fleeing into the surrounding desert, he said.
His account could not be independently verified with other sources.
"The civilians have run away into the desert or are hiding in the trees," he added, speaking from close to Disa.
"The situation is very bad. It's raining and the people are suffering very much."
Fighting around Tawila - where rebels reported heavy clashes on Saturday and Sunday - has also ceased, according to field commanders, said Al-Hillo.
Government forces were now encamped there, he said.
There was no response from the military. But in comments made to Sudanese media on Monday, an army spokesman said troops were in control of areas in eastern Jebel Marra, south of Tawila in West Darfur state.
No mention was made of fighting elsewhere.
'General attacks'
The joint African Union-UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur, or Unamid, said reports from North Darfur state indicated the government had launched "general attacks".
Around 120 Land Rovers and trucks carrying "heavily armed" government troops were spotted near Malha, around 180km northeast of the reported fighting at Disa and Birmaza, the force said on Sunday.
Two attack helicopters had landed at Kutum, some 70km south of the two towns, Unamid said in a statement.
The Arab League ministerial council, meanwhile, is to form an Arab ministerial committee to arrange peace talks in Qatar between the Sudanese government and armed groups in Darfur.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, will head the committee.
Others on the committee will include Amr Musa, the Arab League secretary general, and Jean Ping, the chairperson of the African Union commission, to head the committee.
The UN says up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million fled their homes since the conflict erupted in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.
The war began when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-led Khartoum regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power.
The conflict has since deteriorated with the emergence of a multiplying array of rebel groups, breakaway militia groups and bandits.
Sudanese government troops have moved in to control rebel strongholds in North Darfur... more-
- goldenways
- added this
- 3 years ago
- |
- 0 comments
-
-
Mia Farrow offers her freedom for Darfur rebel
Whoa. She's got 15 children?-
- dalan
- added this
- 4 years ago
- |
- 0 comments
-
