Darfur: About 100 dead in air force attack

A Sudanese air force bombardment of villagers in &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/367/12391_Sudan.html ' target=_blank>Darfur this week killed or wounded almost 100 people, a UN spokeswoman said Friday, calling the bombing a major violation of a fragile ceasefire in the conflict-torn region.

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The bombardment at the village of Shangil Tobaya, which took place Wednesday, forced "thousands" of people to flee, spokeswoman Radhia Achouri said in a phone interview from Khartoum.

Ms. Achouri said &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/politics/2002/07/11/32233.html ' target=_blank>African Union observers at the scene had reported "almost 100 casualties" but did not specify how many were dead and how many wounded, reports The Globe and Mail.

The United Nations mission in Khartoum spoke to Sudan's Foreign Ministry about the bombardment, but has received no reply.

&to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/18/88/354/12936_NGO.html ' target=_blank>NGO field workers based in Shangil Tobaya, 65km south of El Fasher, reported witnessing bombs exploding on the ground and an air force Antonov circling overhead on Wednesday afternoon. Later the same day, the African Union, which has 1 400 cease-fire monitors and protection troops in Darfur, confirmed there was an aerial bombardment and called it a "major violation" of the cease-fire, informs News24.

According to Reuters, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2003/02/04/42997.html ' target=_blank>European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was shocked by reports of the bombing of another village, named Rahad Kabolong, in North Darfur, saying it was one of the worst violations of the ceasefire signed last April.

He said the bombing ran counter to assurances he had received from Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Taha that Khartoum was committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

"The high representative condemns this attack in the strongest terms and reiterates that the evolution of EU-Sudan relations will depend on the actual delivery of the commitments made by the Government of Sudan, not only on its public statements," said a statement issued by Solana's spokeswoman.

JB

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