DETAILS EMERGE ON ARMANKUL INCIDENT IN DARFUR

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 000234 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/ES, AF/FO, AF/RSA, AND AF/SPG DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016 TAGS: MOPS PGOV PHUM PREL CD SU SUBJECT: DETAILS EMERGE ON ARMANKUL INCIDENT IN DARFUR Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) According to Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) military spokesman General Abbas Abdelrahaman Khalifa, artillery shelling originating within Chad hit the area of Armankul for approximately one hour and one-half on the morning of January ¶28. The location, about 20 miles northwest of the West Darfur state capital of El Geneina, is approximately 6 miles from the Chadian border. The SAF states that it returned the artillery fire. ¶2. (C) AU military observers, however, state that an unknown number of personnel on foot attached SAF positions in the Abu Surug district, wherein Armankul is located. The attack was repulsed without SAF casualties, with two attackers killed in action. A different AU source indicated that the attack resulted in two attackers dead and three SAF troops wounded. The AU indicated that a battalion-sized element conducted the attack, approaching from the west. ¶3. (C) Comment: this report differs considerably from the National Movement for Reform and Development (NMRD) claim of 78 SAF troops killed and 17 others captured in the attack. The NMRD is not a party to the Darfur peace talks in Abuja, and does not respect the ceasefire signed between other rebel groups and the government signed in 2004. HUME