Rebels Abduct Tribal Leader from Darfur

Rebels attacked a town in western Sudan, abducting a key tribal leader and two other prominent figures, North Darfur state Gov. Osman Kibir said.

The rebels snatched the three men in the town of Al Laat, stoking further tension in a conflict among Arab militias, the government and the rebels.

The rebels and the government signed a cease-fire agreement in April, but each side says the other has broken it.

The abducted men were Sadiq Abbas, leader of all the Arab tribes in eastern Darfur, a judge and the manager of the town’s agricultural bank, Kibir said. He gave no other details of the attack.