Govt ‘liable’ for Darfur blast

Khartoum – Darfur rebels yesterday accused the government of bombing South Darfur, the latest attack in an aerial campaign that has driven thousands of people from their homes for the past month.

Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) commander Abel Aziz el-Nur Ashr Ashr said: “There is aerial bombardment on a daily basis – bombing by MiG 29 and by Antonov in South Darfur.” Ashr said 20 000 people in the area, south west of Adila town, near the eastern border of Darfur, had fled their homes to the bush without access to clean water during the fighting, which had been ongoing for the past month.Ashr said bombers attacked again in South Darfur early on Thursday.The army was not immediately available for comment.On Wednesday, JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) attacked an army base in the Kordofan region next to Darfur, which they said was the logistical and supply centre for ongoing attacks in South Darfur.The rebels said 15 soldiers were killed.Ashr said: “We are still controlling the military camp.We have four injured and three killed.”He said all the army prisoners who rebels caught during the assault had been released.The army on Wednesday denied there was an army base in Wad Banda and said rebels had attacked the town, but that government troops had them surrounded.Ashr said yesterday the army was nowhere in sight.He said: “They retreated and there’s no one now”, adding that rebels expected the government to retaliate.The African Union peacekeeping force, struggling to defend itself, had declared the area no-go, making it difficult to verify facts.The fighting came at a delicate time for the Darfur peace process.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who had condemned government bombardment in South Darfur as a violation of a UN Security Council resolution, was due in Khartoum on Monday.He would begin a multi-state visit to try to set a timetable to revive peace talks between the government and rebels after a May 2006 deal faltered.It was signed by only one rebel group and neither side had made good on all its commitments under the agreement.International experts estimated that 200 000 people had died since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing central government of neglecting the region.Nampa-ReutersAshr said 20 000 people in the area, south west of Adila town, near the eastern border of Darfur, had fled their homes to the bush without access to clean water during the fighting, which had been ongoing for the past month.Ashr said bombers attacked again in South Darfur early on Thursday.The army was not immediately available for comment.On Wednesday, JEM and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) attacked an army base in the Kordofan region next to Darfur, which they said was the logistical and supply centre for ongoing attacks in South Darfur.The rebels said 15 soldiers were killed.Ashr said: “We are still controlling the military camp.We have four injured and three killed.”He said all the army prisoners who rebels caught during the assault had been released.The army on Wednesday denied there was an army base in Wad Banda and said rebels had attacked the town, but that government troops had them surrounded.Ashr said yesterday the army was nowhere in sight.He said: “They retreated and there’s no one now”, adding that rebels expected the government to retaliate.The African Union peacekeeping force, struggling to defend itself, had declared the area no-go, making it difficult to verify facts.The fighting came at a delicate time for the Darfur peace process.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who had condemned government bombardment in South Darfur as a violation of a UN Security Council resolution, was due in Khartoum on Monday.He would begin a multi-state visit to try to set a timetable to revive peace talks between the government and rebels after a May 2006 deal faltered.It was signed by only one rebel group and neither side had made good on all its commitments under the agreement.International experts estimated that 200 000 people had died since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing central government of neglecting the region.Nampa-Reuters