October 8, 2007: The US warned that the prospect of
armed conflict between the government
and South Sudan has increased dramatically, with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is in
danger of breaking down. The major disagreements are over drawing the north-south border and
control over the oil fields in central Sudan. In addition, the government and
the South Sudan rebels have failed to
meet troop withdrawal pledges required in the 2005 CPA.
October 7, 2007: In response to the September 29/30
attack on a peacekeeper camp, government troops looted and burned down the
nearby town of Haskanita.
October 5, 2007: The Nigerian government wants
answers about the the seven Nigerian
soldiers killed in a rebel attack on Darfur peacekeepers on September 30.
October 2, 2007: Senegal threatened to pull its
peacekeepers out of Darfur, because African Union peacekeepers were not
properly equipped to handle things like the September 30 attack. One Senegalese
soldier died, out of 540 Senegalese
soldiers serving with the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS). This attack, involving a
rebel force traveling in a convoy of armed vehicles (30 vehicles according to
one report), took supplies from the base and seized several "heavy weapons"
(probably machineguns and mortars, since those are the heaviest weapons AMIS
peacekeepers possess). Of course it depends on the size of the vehicles, but it
is reasonable to figure at least ten to twelve fighters per medium vehicle.
That puts the initial rebel assault force at around 300 fighters. The Darfur
rebel group responsible for the attack was not identified.
