Sudanese army failed to observe humanitarian truce: rebels
November 15, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The humanitarian arm of the rebel SPLM-N said that some 15 civilians were killed during a series of air strikes carried out by the Sudanese army during the past two weeks and accused Khartoum of violating its unilateral cessation of hostilities.
Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SRRA) said in a statement issued on Friday that the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) breached the unilateral cessation of hostilities in South Kordofan and Blue Nile covering the period from 1st to 12th November.
“SAF conducted 36 air strikes using high altitude Antonov planes and jet fighters”, said a statement signed by SRRA executive director, Neroun Philip Ajo. He further added that “15 people were killed; mainly women and children, and 22 were injured”.
Also, an independent group, The Sudan Consortium, said the Sudanese army violated the humanitarian cessation of hostilities, adding that on 2 November Sudanese military Antonov dropped 10 bombs on two localities in Um Dorein County, South Kordfan but there were no causalities .
“However, on Tuesday 5th November, one woman was killed, and one child and two men injured when the Sudanese Air Force attacked civilian population centres in Tunguli, Abri and Kolrna localities in Delami County”, the group said in a report released on Friday.
UN humanitarian coordinator John Ging, last Monday said the Sudanese government and the rebel SPLM-N are obstructing the conduct of a campaign aiming to vaccinate 165,000 children in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
He urged the UN Security Council to take a tough stance against the two sides in order to enable the UN agencies to carry out the operation.
The Sudanese top negotiator Ibrahim Gandour on Thursday reaffirmed his government’s readiness to discuss the technical details of the vaccination campaign with the SPLM, as the humanitarian commissioner Suleiman Abdel-Rahman announced that a new date for the vaccination saying it would start on 1st December.
Khartoum on Thursday contested Ging’s call saying the government did all what it can to facilitate the campaign, pointing an accusing finger to the rebels saying they are to be blamed for delaying it.
The SRRA, in turn, reaffirmed its commitment to the polio campaign and called on the Sudanese government to accept the invitation of the African Union mediation (AUHIP) to discuss with the SPLM-N the technical measures pertaining to the vaccination.
The SPLM-N humanitarian arm, further, called on the international community to put pressure on Khartoum government to allow humanitarian access to the affected civilians in the rebel controlled areas.
(ST)