Sudan army kills 100 in Darfur town, say rebels
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
A KEY Darfur rebel leader yesterday accused the Sudanese army of razing a town in the troubled region and killing up to 100 people in retaliation for an attack on African Union troops.
"The army launched an offensive against the town after the attack on the African Union Mission in Sudan (Unmis) and we asked our fighters to leave the town taking with them civilians to spare them from reprisals," Suleiman Jamous told AFP by telephone from Chad.
The Sudanese military swiftly denied the charges.
The town of Haskanita in south Darfur was destroyed on Saturday after a September 29 attack on a nearby African Union base that left 10 peacekeepers dead and drew worldwide condemnation.
The United Nations Mission in Sudan said the town was completely burned down and the market was looted, and that the civilian population fled to neighbouring areas. Jamous, former humanitarian coordinator for the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), charged that the army and its proxy militia the Janjaweed had carried out the attack. "Certain civilians stayed behind and were the target of an army attack. I heard of somewhere between 86 and 100 dead but I can't confirm," he said.
Jamous acknowledged however that "our fighters may have caused some damage while trying to cover their withdrawal", adding that several thousand civilians were hiding in surrounding forests.
A Sudanese army spokesman, quoted by Al-Yaam , yesterday denied the charges and said his forces had taken over the town without a fight.
AFP
"The army launched an offensive against the town after the attack on the African Union Mission in Sudan (Unmis) and we asked our fighters to leave the town taking with them civilians to spare them from reprisals," Suleiman Jamous told AFP by telephone from Chad.
The Sudanese military swiftly denied the charges.
The town of Haskanita in south Darfur was destroyed on Saturday after a September 29 attack on a nearby African Union base that left 10 peacekeepers dead and drew worldwide condemnation.
The United Nations Mission in Sudan said the town was completely burned down and the market was looted, and that the civilian population fled to neighbouring areas. Jamous, former humanitarian coordinator for the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), charged that the army and its proxy militia the Janjaweed had carried out the attack. "Certain civilians stayed behind and were the target of an army attack. I heard of somewhere between 86 and 100 dead but I can't confirm," he said.
Jamous acknowledged however that "our fighters may have caused some damage while trying to cover their withdrawal", adding that several thousand civilians were hiding in surrounding forests.
A Sudanese army spokesman, quoted by Al-Yaam , yesterday denied the charges and said his forces had taken over the town without a fight.
AFP
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