Civilians reportedly killed by Darfur militia

Dec 24, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Seven civilians were killed by the pro-government Janjaweed militia and one policeman was shot dead in separate incidents in north Darfur, Sudanese media reports said on Sunday.

The independent daily Al-Ayam said the Janjaweed attacked villages near the town of Kutum on Saturday, killing four teachers and three women and wounding an unknown number of people.

The attacks, which according to Al-Ayam forced dozens of people to seek refuge in Kutum, have not yet been officially confirmed by the African Union peacekeeping force or the United Nations.

Also on Saturday, one Sudanese policeman was killed and three others were wounded in an attack in the war-torn western region, the official SUNA news agency reported.

“Unidentified gunmen attacked a six-man police patrol in El-Fasher, killing one policeman on the spot and wounding three others,” SUNA said.

The attackers seized the police vehicle and drove off southwards, the agency said, adding that the police unit was tasked with manning a checkpoint sealing off a neighbourhood of El-Fasher which has witnessed recent violence.

El-Fasher is the largest town in Darfur and the main base of the African Union force which has tried to stabilise the region for the past two years. The town houses a large concentration of Darfuris displaced by the conflict.

According to the United Nations, at least 200,000 people have died from the combined effect of war and famine since the fighting in Darfur erupted in February 2003. Some sources say the toll is much higher.

(AFP)