A security zone that was established in a town in the war-torn western Sudanese region of Darfur in order to protect UN and African Union peacekeepers as well as civilians, has fallen into the hands of rebels, a Sudanese army spokesman announced on Tuesday.
The one-square-km security zone was established around a camp of the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force (UNAMID) in the town of Muhajiriya, 80 km east of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State.
Muhajiriya, which had been controlled by the Sudan Liberation Movement-Miniwi faction led by Mini Arkou Miniwi who signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government in May, 2006, was seized by militants of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in mid-January, Xinhua reported.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of the government asked the UNAMID to evacuate its staff from the town on Monday because the SAF was planning to launch an attack to re-take the disputed town, the SAF spokesman said in a statement.
However, the UNAMID turned down the demand, noting that a large number of civilians were taking shelter in the UNAMID camp since the rebel militants occupied the town and the evacuation of the UNAMID staff would leave these civilians in danger.
The UNAMID proposed the security zone which the peacekeeping force promised to prevent the JEM militants from approaching, the spokesman said, noting that the SAF agreed to the proposal.
He reiterated that the SAF would do its best to help the UNAMID to perform its tasks in Darfur.
Meanwhile, the JEM has offered to pull out its troops from Muhajiriya "taking in consideration the safety of the civilians in the town", the Paris-based Sudan Tribune reported in its website on Tuesday.
Ahmed Hussein Adam, the official spokesperson of the rebel movement said they were ready to withdraw their troops from Muhajiriya provided the town was declared a demilitarized zone under the control of the hybrid peacekeeping force.
He added that Sudanese army or former rebels led by Mini Miniwi should remain away from the town.
But the Sudanese government has immediately rejected the offer saying there is "no room for conditions from the JEM", according to the report.
On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and the U.S. administration urged the JEM rebels to give up Muhajiriya.
"I have urged the JEM to withdraw from Muhajiriya in order to avoid an escalation of violence, and the Sudanese authorities to use maximum restraint," said the UN secretary-general in an address to an AU summit meeting in Addis Ababa.
The U.S. State Department joined in condemning the rebel capture of Muhajiriya and demanded the JEM withdraw from the town.