Sudanese State Govt Official Denies Bombing In Darfur

KHARTOUM, Jan 30, 2005 (AP) – The governor of North Darfur state said reports of the bombing of civilians in the Shangil Tobaya village were “unfounded,” claiming they were fabricated by foreign media and organizations, according to a statement published Sunday by official media.

A U.N. spokeswoman on Friday, citing African Union observers, claimed that nearly 100 villagers in southern Darfur had been killed when a Sudanese warplane attacked the village of Shangil Tobaya, which is near the South Darfur state border.

“We personally went there…and the people in the area were surprised as to the lies diffused by the organizations and the western media,” said Osman Mohamed Yusuf Kibir, the governor of North Darfur state, in a statement published by the official Sudan News Agency.

The Shangil Tobaya area is administratively part of north Darfur state.

U.N. spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said Friday that A.U. observers at the scene had reported “almost 100 casualties” but didn’t specify the number of dead or wounded.

She described it as “one of the most serious violations of the cease-fire” signed by the government and the Darfur rebels last year.

Darfur, a region of western Sudan , has been torn by conflict since 2003, when non-Arab rebels launched a campaign, complaining of discrimination by Khartoum’s Arab-dominated government. Arab militiamen then launched a bloody campaign of violence against non-Arab Africans in Darfur, allegedly with government backing.