Sudanese army and Janjaweed carry new attacks in Darfur -AU

Nov 18, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The African Union denounced attacks carried by the Sudanese army and Janjaweed militia in North Darfur. It accused Sudan of violating the Darfur peace agreement signed last May.

The African Union Mission in The Sudan (AMIS) said Sudanese army bombarded Birmaza, in North Darfur on 15-16 November. It further said that these air offensives were accompanied by ground attacks by the regular army and the Janjaweed militia.

In a press statement, AMIS described the attacks as “a flagrant violation of the security provisions of the DPA”

The African body spoke about “heavy toll on the civilian population” without elaborating.

“The government and its militias are conducting inexplicable terror against civilians,” he said in an Associated Press interview from Khartoum just after returning from his final trip to the area before his term as U.N. humanitarian chief ends in December.

The continued attacks that harms civilians and hampers efforts to deliver humanitarian aid underline the need to upgrade the AU force, Egeland said.

The AU urged the Sudanese parties to exercise restraint, even in the face of provocation, and desist from carrying out condemnable indiscriminate attacks which cause severe civilian casualties.

(ST)