Sudan rebuts claims by SPLA forces

CAIRO — The Sudanese People's Liberation Army has claimed new gains in its war against the Sudanese regime.

The SPLA said rebel forces captured three army positions in the Blue Nile province. The organization said the Sudanese army garrisons were captured amid a rebel offensive near the area of Qisan.

A Sudanese army spokesman, Mohammed Bashir, denied the SPLA claim. The spokesman said the rebels are making claims to maintain flagging morale.

Sudanese commanders said Khartoum has made significant gains in the army offensive in the southern and eastern regions of the country. Last week, Khartoum, bolstered by new oil revenues, rejected a ceasefire offer by the SPLA.

Western industry sources said Khartoum obtained $300 million from oil revenues in 2000. About two-thirds of the revenue came from royalties from Canada's Talisman Energy, a leading developer of Sudan's oil reserves.

Sudan has been gripped by an 18-year-old civil war. The regime in Khartoum has been accused by Western relief agencies of targeting civilian villages during the fighting.