Sudan launches campaign to remove mines from eastern Darfur

SPLA forces of South Sudan State A spokesman for the Sudanese Armed Forces, Colonel Sawarmi Khalid Saad, declared that SPLA forces of South Sudan State planted a large amount of mines in the area of Samaha in eastern Darfur. According to him, an engineering team was formed to work on removing the mines, which have affected the movement of the pastoral tribes inhabiting Samaha and prompted them to engage in battles with the armed groups of the People's Army of the State of South Sudan.
Sawarmi stressed that Sudanese armed forces are committed to what was agreed upon in the recent negotiations in Addis Ababa and will work to enforce duties, in regards to security arrangements.
A source in eastern Darfur, who preferred not to be named, announced that the Samaha area was subject to assaults and heavy bombardment on Wednesday and Thursday in which SPLA troops of southern Sudan used heavy weapons, including tanks, mortars and Katyusha rockets to react.
The shelling killed and wounded herdsmen from the Sudanese Rizeigat tribe. The source added that large numbers from the Rizeigat tribe - up to 6,000 - are now armed with light weapons massing onto the border with the state of South Sudan to respond to the assault.