UN: Darfur conflict forces 73,000 to flee

About 73,000 civilians have fled the Marra mountains in Sudan’s Darfur region since conflict between government and rebel forces escalated in mid-January, the UN has said in a statement. The Marra mountains, which rise to more than 3,000 metres (nearly 10,000 feet) and are one of Darfur’s most fertile areas, are controlled by rebels of […]

About 73,000 civilians have fled the Marra mountains in Sudan’s Darfur region since conflict between government and rebel forces escalated in mid-January, the UN has said in a statement.
The Marra mountains, which rise to more than 3,000 metres (nearly 10,000 feet) and are one of Darfur’s most fertile areas, are controlled by rebels of Abdulwahid Nur’s faction of the Sudan Liberation Army.
Government forces and militias allied with them have been waging an offensive against rebels in the area for the last four weeks, it adds.
Many of those fleeing have taken refuge at a base in Sortoni town, run by peacekeepers from the UN and African Union, the UN added.