Darfur rebels kidnap judge in renewed attacks

News Article by DPA, 11 July 2004

Khartoum (dpa) - Rebels in Sudan's troubled Darfur region kidnapped a judge during renewed attacks that killed an unspecified number of people, the official Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Omdurman) reported Sunday.

The judge, al-Sadiq Abbas Dho-al-Baiet, is also the head of a branch of the Agricultural Bank and a community leader. Radio Omdurman reported that officials blamed the rebel groups Justice and Equality and Sudan Liberation for renewed attacks in the towns of al-Leeta and el-Thaweesha in the Um Kadada locality in north Darfur state.
The attacks resulted in fatalities, the report said, but it did not specify the death toll.

Al-Leeta is the hometown and birthplace of the governor of north Darfur state, Osman Yousif Kibur, the report said.
Kibur told Radio Omdurman that it was the 50th time rebels violated a ceasefire agreement with the government signed on April 8.
Kibur also called on the rebels to release the kidnapped judge. dpa