Sudan says ‘renegade’ tribesmen killed 33 in West Darfur

Nov 07, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — A Sudanese governor in Darfur on Tuesday accused “renegade Arab tribesmen” of killing 33 people and injuring 17 others in an attack on several villages last month in the war-torn region.

Gaafar Abdul Hakam Isaaq, governor of the West Darfur state, said an inquiry commission he set up to investigate the attacks that occurred on Oct. 29 and 30 reported that a “group of renegade Arab tribesmen attacked six villages … and looted cattle and properties,” according to the official Sudan News Agency.

The United Nations has said 50 people were killed in the deadly raids against several villages and a refugee camp in the Jebel Moon area of West Darfur and charged the Sudanese government-allied janjaweed militia with the killings.

The U.N. cited witnesses saying that men clad in Sudanese military officers’ garb were with the horse-mounted militia when they attacked, killing at least 27 children and about as many adults.

But the Sudanese government has denied any involvement in the killings, saying the U.N. allegations contained “huge amounts of lies” and that outlaws should be blamed for the attacks.

The West Darfur governor also said authorities were still searching to locate those involved in the raids.

Sudan’s Arab-dominated government has long denied backing the janjaweed, a militia of Arab nomads blamed for much of the atrocities against ethnic African villagers in Darfur in 2003, when African rebels first took up arms against Khartoum.

More than 200,000 people have since been killed and 2.5 million displaced since 2003.

(AP)