Abdulaziz Al-Hilu flees from Kadugli

Sudan
9 June, 2011 (UNMIS MMR)

Al-Ahram Al-Youm; Kadugli, Heavy artillery fire has continued yesterday in Southern
Kordofan for the third day running amidst a lack of official reports on the number of casualties.
Sources have revealed however that the state’s finance minister and a personal bodyguard to
Abdulaziz Al-Hilu are among the dead.

SAF Spokesperson Al-Suwarmi Khaled said yesterday that the situation is under control and that
the information available is that SPLM leader Abdulaziz Al-Hilu has fled Kadugli heading
towards Karongo, some 20km south-west of the town.

Sources also report that authorities had stormed into Al-Hilu’s residence and found documents
outlining an SPLM sabotage plot on the state.

In a related development, Al-Khartoum reports that the SPLA overrun Dallami town after fierce
fighting with the SAF forces positioned there. In the morning, large numbers of SPLA
reinforcements were seen coming into the area from Al-Abiyad. The SAF has withdrawn from
the area. Sources say the two sides are now engaged in clashes around the Um-Bureimbeita area.

SPLM’s Yassir Arman has described the situation in Kadugli as very dangerous and is calling
for calm. “Peace here requires new security arrangements; not a disarmament of the SPLA,” he
said.

The SAF is now fully in control of Kadugli while there are reports that the SAF has overrun the
SPLA camp in Tafrei using air power while continuing to comb the town of SPLA with reports
of widespread arrests by the security.

Al-Ayyam reports meanwhile the streets of Kadugli were empty yesterday as a result of the
heavy gunfire. Eyewitnesses report that Red Cross vehicles have been cited carrying tens of dead
bodies to the graveyard.

UNMIS Spokesperson Kouider Zerrouk says the security situation in Southern Kordofan is
deteriorating with reports of the two sides employing heavy artillery fire yesterday and reports
that the fighting has spread to areas in the vicinity of Kadugli town. He called on the two sides to
dialogue to ease the tension. Zerrouk also underlined the need to provide humanitarian assistance
to those fleeing the violence.

The UNMIS Spokesperson denied reports the UNMIS was evacuating its staff, saying that some
staff members did head north on their own volition.

State Governor Ahmed Haroun told Sudan Radio Service that the situation in the state worsened
on Wednesday morning after what started as sporadic gunfire seemed to be directed towards
SAF positions and targeted civilians in Kadugli. He said the fighting then spread to other towns
near Kadugli.

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