Sudan air strike kills 26 civilians in North Darfur – rebels

April 22, 2007 (AL-FASHER) — Sudanese army aircrafts bombarded during two days positions of a rebel faction in North Darfur killing 26 civilians among them 4 pregnant women, a rebel statement said on Sunday.

According to a faction of Sudan Liberation Movement led by Ahmed Abdelshafi, Sudanese army carried on Saturday and Sunday two air strikes against its positions in Amray in North Darfur.

The two antonov and the two helicopters killed 11 civilians on Saturday and 15 civilians among them four pregnant women, the bombardment destroyed the village and big number of cattle, the statement said.

“This attack once again illustrates that Khartoum does not want to establish peace in Darfur; the regime of National Congress Party tries through this abhorrent attack to prevent the organization of a reunification conference that we are working to organize” the statement said.

The U.N. says at least 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced since the Darfur conflict flared in 2003 when rebels took up arms against the government, charging it with neglect. Khartoum says only 9,000 have died.

(ST)