Sudan resumes large-scale bombing in North Darfur – rebels
Jan 21, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Government aircraft have bombed wide areas of northern Darfur in breach of a cease-fire brokered by U.S. Governor Bill Richardson, Sudanese rebel leaders said Sunday.
The reports, which couldn’t be independently confirmed, came days after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed to adhere to a cease-fire brokered by Richardson and others this month.
A rebel field commander, Abdallah Banda, said the bombing began Friday across a large stretch of North Darfur near the communities of Hashaba and Ein Sirro and were continuing Sunday.
“We’ve been hearing the (aircraft) circling all morning, and explosions are going off in the distance,” Banda, from the Justice and Equality Movement, said by satellite telephone from North Darfur.
JEM is among the several rebel groups which refuse a peace agreement signed last May by the government and one movement leader.
Government officials weren’t immediately available for comment but have previously denied breaching any truce, saying recent military action was “purely defensive” and only targeted rebel groups who refuse a cease-fire.
Sudan has been repeatedly accused of bombing civilians in rebel-controlled zones with crews on Antonov cargo planes dropping crude explosives onto villages, with little military effect but causing damage.
The current air raids are preventing much movement or communication among rebels, said Banda.
He couldn’t confirm reports of more than a dozen casualties.
“It’s too early to count the dead,” he said, “but there are probably many.”
The African Union force in Darfur said it was looking into the incidents, which are difficult to investigate because they are reported in northern rebel strongholds which are “no-go zones” for the peacekeepers.
The AU confirmed, however, it had sent investigators to two separate locations where government planes are also accused of having bombed villages earlier this week.
More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million made refugees in Darfur since 2003 when rebels stemming from ethnic African tribes took arms against the Arab-dominated government, charging it of neglect.
Khartoum is accused of responding with indiscriminate bombings of suspected rebel zones, and of having armed the janjaweed militias of Arab nomads who are blamed for the worst atrocities in the conflict.
Violence has only worsened since the peace agreement signed last May, and Khartoum opposes a U.N. Security Council resolution for some 22,000 U.N. peacekeepers to replace the overwhelmed African force in the region.
(AP)