Rebels accuse Sudanese army of new Darfur attacks

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Darfur rebels accused Sudan's government of more attacks on Saturday, saying Khartoum was not serious about peace and was pursuing a military solution to the conflict.

Sudan's army denied the allegation and said its troops had fought off an ambush in an isolated incident.

The joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in the remote region said it was checking the reports.

"The government army and militia attacked us yesterday in Abu Hamra and Kofod east of Kutum in North Darfur," Nimr Mohamed, spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Army under Abdel Wahed Mohamed el-Nur, told Reuters from Darfur.

"The National Congress Party talks peace but in reality on the ground they are pursuing a military solution," he said on Saturday. He added that rebel and army forces were still in the area and he expected further clashes.

Two rebels were killed and many civilians were killed or wounded in the crossfire, he said.

A Sudanese army spokesman denied attacking, saying troops were accompanying a convoy of local officials when they were attacked by bandits on camels whom they fought off without any losses.

"These areas don't even belong to SLA Abdel Wahed," the spokesman said.

Since the International Criminal Court announced steps last month to indict President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for genocide and war crimes, he paid a defiant visit to Darfur calling for all rebel groups to attend peace talks.

The only faction that signed a largely unimplemented 2006 peace deal with Khartoum also accused the army of attacking its areas on Thursday.

"The government attacked us in Dorma, North Darfur...killing five of our troops," said Mohamed Drbeen, military spokesman for the SLA faction led by presidential adviser Minni Arcua Minnawi.

The army said it had no information on these clashes.

Rebels say this is part of a wider campaign by Khartoum before new peace efforts under new joint U.N.-African Union mediator Djibril Bassole.

This week, a massive army force seized control of rebel areas in the remote north of Darfur.

Before previous peace talks, government and rebel forces have launched attacks to control as much land as possible.