Sudan militia leader recaptures towns from rebels

The commander of a militia allied with the Sudanese government said his forces helped recapture five southern towns from rebels, a Khartoum newspaper reported on Sunday.

"Our forces recaptured more than five towns on their way to the town Tonj," the independent Akhbar Al Youm quoted Riek Machar as saying. He named Warap, Lirna, Makoj,Tashawi and Tali, and said they were in government hands early on Saturday.

Machar is the commander of the Southern Sudan Defense Force (SSDF), the unified force composed of a number of groups which signed a peace accord with the government in April.

Machar did not give a time, but the private Sudanese Alwan newspaper said last week that the SSDF on Tuesday retook Warap and Tali, more than 960 km south of Khartoum.

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