Quote:The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), an alliance of four rebel groups from the western Darfur region and zones in the south, attacked the central city of Um Rawaba, a usually placid commercial hub, and other areas two weeks ago.
The SRF's brief occupation of the city in North Kordofan state was the closest insurgents bent on toppling President Omar Hassan al-Bashir have got to Khartoum since one rebel band launched an unprecedented raid on its suburb Omdurman in 2008.
Sudan has been plagued for decades by clashes between the government and rebels from its peripheries, fighting against what they say is exploitation by a Khartoum elite.
Simmering rebellions have frustrated efforts to bring stability to a country in one of Africa's most unstable neighborhoods.
Over the past two weeks, both rebels and government forces have also reported clashes in the northeastern tip of South Kordofan, an oil-producing state, in areas near Kosti, Sudan's biggest Nile river port, and key sugar plants.
The latest battle was reported on Sunday.
Almost 40,000 people had fled clashes in different areas of South Kordofan, and most of them had taken refuge in the town of El Rahad, the United Nations said in a report.
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