Darfur children dragged from mothers, shot

Nov 19, 2006 (TINE, Sudan) — Dozens of screaming toddlers in the Darfur region of Sudan were ripped away from their mothers and shot to death, it was reported Sunday.

Older children who tried to save their brothers and sisters were hunted down, The Sunday Times of London reported.

Another group — aged 5, 7 and 9 — tried to run away. A 5-year-old fell down and was shot dead. Another boy stopped and told the attacker: “You killed this child. Please let me go.” A moment later he was killed too, one of more than 20 children who died that day, the newspaper said.

Local people put the number of dead in the attack this month at 63, mostly old men and children. The African Union, which has a peacekeeping force in Darfur, said 92 people died in the eight villages attacked.

The Darfur crisis could become “infinitely worse” if a deal to send a combined United Nations and African force is not put into effect quickly, the United Nations humanitarian chief said Saturday.

(UPI)