May 9, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army has agreed to boost salaries of soldiers and officers by 22% amid growing military activities against rebels in the country.
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- FILE PHOTO - Sudanese army troops (GETTY)
Last month the Sudanese defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein complained to parliament that army salaries are low and do not encourage soldiers to make sacrifices.
Under the new pay adjustment, soldiers and officers will now receive 450 Sudanese pounds ($75) 600 ($100) respectively in what is known as "operations allowance".
The Sudanese army is now preparing for new offensive in South Kordofan to eject rebels of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) from Abu Kershola district in South Kordofan state.
A week ago, the SRF, which includes the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), along with several Darfur rebel groups, launched a major attack most notably in Um Rawaba, the second-largest town in North Kordofan state, during coordinated attacks on several nearby areas.
In the past, the rebels' military activity was generally confined to the Darfur region, as well as the border states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The only exception was in 2008 when the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked Sudan's twin capital of Omdurman.
The Sudanese government has began a mobilizing campaign to support the army and the Sudanese parliament suspended its activities next week to allow MP's to head to their constituencies in order to rally youth behind the army.
(ST)