Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Sudan rebels heal their rift

Saturday 11 February 1995 00:02 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

John Samuel, 18, who lost his legs when Sudanese government planes bombed his school, practising with artificial limbs in the Red Cross hospital at Lokichokia in Kenya which sees up to 100 refugee casualties of the Sudanese conflict every week.

Meanwhile the four-year split in the rebel movement of southern Sudan has been healed according to Riak Machar, leader of the breakaway Southern Sudan Independence Movement, writes Richard Dowden. Speaking in Nairobi yesterday, Mr Machar said: "The SSIM, in pursuit of reconciliation and peace, announces a ceasefire with the SPLA [the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army, the mainstream movement] with effect from today." The two groups were now agreed on the objective of their 12-year-old struggle, he added.

The war between the tribally based factions of the southern autonomy movement has been as bad if not worse than the war against the Khartoum government in terms of brutality and suffering and has allowed the government troops to regain most of the south in the last two years. The SPLA forces led by John Garang, are now penned in along the Uganda border while Mr Machar's rebels who have few weapons, are based near the Ethiopian border in the east. The government is preparing for a dry season offensive.

Photograph: Corinne Dufka/Reuter

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in