Sudanese rebels accuse government, militias of attack village
SORRA, Sudan/Nairobi, Jan 04, 2004 (dpa) — Sudanese government troops and allied militias attacked a major village in the Darfur area of western Sudan, killing 200 people, the spokesman of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) rebel group claimed Sunday.
The village of Sorra near Zalingie province Friday came under heavy fire from troops and militias firing mortars and artillery, SLA spokesman Ahmed Abdel-Shafi Yagoub told dpa.
“The village is completely destroyed now – it’s just smoke. The properties were looted. Theres nothing – there’s no life in the village,” said Yagoub, who said Sorra’s total population was 500.
Yagoub said the area was in urgent need of aid from the United Nations and international aid agencies. He also said thousands in the surrounding area fled following the attack.
According to analysts, the conflict in Sudan has taken on a racial tone, with dark-skinned populations being attacked by the government and Arab militias.
The Sudanese embassy in Nairobi said it did not receive a statement from Khartoum concerning Friday’s attack.
The conflict in Darfur has nothing to do with ethnic cleansing and is “just an act of armed gangs,” said a source with the Sudanese government, who did not wish to be identified.
Bitter warfare has stepped up in Darfur in recent months between the SLA, the Sudanese government, and Arab militias that many observers say are allied to the government.
Peace talks between the government and the SLA broke down last year. The Darfur conflict is not being included in the Sudanese peace talks, currently being held in the Kenyan town of Naivasha between the government and another rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
Within the last few months, aid agencies have become more vocal about the Darfur conflict and have said they are unable to gain access to troubled areas.
“In the past fortnight, there has been more displacement, more human rights violations, and less access for aid workers,” the U.N.’s children agency (UNICEF) said in a statement last month.
According to UNICEF, more than 750,000 people have been displaced by the conflict.