Sudan retakes Darfur town

2009-05-30 09:34

Nairobi - Sudan's army has recaptured a Darfur town that was taken by rebels two weeks ago, reports said on Friday.

Army spokesperson Osman Al-Agbas said that fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) had fled the town of Kornoi, near the border with Chad, and that Sudanese troops were in control, the Sudan Tribune reported.

JEM on Sunday also tried to take control of an army base in Um Baru, about 50km east of Kornoi.

However, the Sudanese repelled the attack. Some 43 rebels and 20 government soldiers died in the fighting, according to the Sudanese military.

A new round of peace talks between JEM and the Sudanese government got underway on Wednesday in Doha, Qatar.

According to the UN, as many as 300 000 people have died and two million have been displaced in six years of conflict in Darfur.

Tensions have been rising near the Sudan-Chad border in recent weeks.

Sudan accuses Chad of supporting the Darfur rebels, while Chad believes Sudan is supporting rebel groups trying to topple Chadian President Idriss Deby.

Chad has in recent weeks attacked rebels on Sudanese soil, although Sudan has yet to follow up on threats to retaliate.

- DPA