Over 500 SPLA deserters have crossed to Hadida area in Sudan’s East Darfur state over the last few days, a local sheikh said yesterday.

Abdul Rahim El Hussein, a sheikh at one of the khalwas in Abu Matarig village, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that about 500 heavily armed soldiers crossed from the disputed border area of Mile 14 between Sudan and South Sudan.

“Over the past four days, about 500 South Sudanese soldiers crossed to our areas. So as normal citizens we do not know what was going on exactly,” he said.

As soon as those forces arrived in the area they asked for food and water from local residents, according to the sheikh.

He stated that Sudanese government forces were not present in the area, though a vehicle belonging to the government has recently arrived and collected guns from the deserters.

El Hussein pointed out that locals were concerned about the presence of SPLA deserters in their areas, saying the move could jeopardize peace signed between the Rizeigat and Dinka Malual tribes.

The cleric said, “We don’t want to create problems with our neighbors. As you know we have good relations with Dinka Malual, so we don’t want to spoil the peaceful coexistence between the two tribes.”

“Maybe they will proceed northward because we do not know their program,” he said of the South Sudanese deserters.