Liberté sans frontières

The Minister for National Defence, General Abdul Rahim Mohamed Hussein, has affirmed that the total loss among the enemy force that attacked Omdurman town was 143 vehicles out of their total number of 170 to 180 that entered the town. He said 75 trucks with ammunition and supply were seized while 68 were totally destroyed and that anther 20 trucks were air bombed, and quantities of ammunition and weapons were captured. The Minister pointed out in his address before the National Legislature Tuesday that the Armed Forces have sustained 93 martyrs, including four officers and two missing troops. The Minister said the causality among the civilians stand at 30 civilians including two Egyptians and two Senegalese nationals. He said the army lost one land cruiser. The Minister told the parliament that the Police Forces have also sustained 13 martyrs while 70 of its members sustained injuries. The Minister said the movements of the rebels were monitored since they left Chad where they were addressed by President Debby and that at the time there were 309 trucks The Minister pointed out that the Armed Forces had drawn a plan to deal with the attack and that a joint operation room was set and that all air and land precautionary measures were taken and that the regular forces were put in a state of full preparedness since a long time ago and that the plan was to confront the rebels outside the town of Omdurman. He said the areas of Jabrat al sheikh and al Magroor were secured by the Central Military Command while a defense plan to protect Khartoum was also put in place. He said the enemy divided its force into four axes and specified their missions. He has however said that there were a huge number of fifth columnists who were unveiling the defense locations for the enemy. The Minister said an alternate plan was recoursed to and that a decisive battle took place near the Al Engaz Bridge. The Minister said information have also been received about the involvement of some banks which dealt with the enemy and that Chad was used as a tool, saying the weapons involved were much than the Chad could afford to provide. The Minister said the enemy attempt was a suicidal one because it left so many of its elements behind and that its back remained open. He said the Armed Forces were now chasing the rebel leader Khalil on the outskirt of North Kordofan and the Shamalia states. The Minister commended the bravery of the citizens and the armed forces in repulsing the enemy force. On his part the Minister of Interior, Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid, has pointed out in his report before the national legislature that the enemy operation which was code-named the destruction operation was seeking to overrun the National Radio, the Republican Palace, the Army General Command and the National Television beside looting of the Market places and destroying developmental projects. The Minister of Interior said the various apparatus in the Ministry of interior were monitoring the enemy movement for a period of more than a month and that all precautionary measures were taken and that last week the ministry barred civilians from traveling to areas west of Omdurman. He commended the cooperation of the citizens with the Police Force. Speaking for the Sudan People liberation Movement Mr. Atim Garang, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, rejected any change of the government through the use of force.