AU condemns renewed raids against relief convoy in Darfur

Sept 5, 2005 (Nairobi) — The African Union (AU) mission in Sudan have condemned renewed raids against relief convoy, workers and nomads in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region.

In a statement received here Monday, the AU mission said the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)’s provocative banditry and lack of cooperation was casting doubt over their commitment to upcoming negotiations in Nigeria.

The AU mission said the SLA were destabilizing the region and jeopardizing peace talks with the Khartoum government.

It said the rebels are rejecting any attempts by the AU to resolve the situation and defuse rising tensions in the area.

The sixth round of talks between the Sudanese government and the rebels are due to start in Nigeria on September 15.

According to AU, the SLA forces attacked Arab nomads in Malam, about 100 km north of Nyala, capital of South Darfur, killing several people, kidnapping seven and stealing hundreds of camels.

More than two million people in Darfur are homeless, driven from their homes by two and a half years of clashes.

But after eight months of relative calm and improving security, the situation in Darfur is deteriorating once again.

Clashes flared up in Darfur in February 2003 when local farmers took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglecting the barren area. Thousands of people have been killed and over a million displaced in the region since then.