Ban Ki-moon urges Sudan to stop Darfur bombings

United Nations, May 10: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Sudan to stop aerial bombardments he said had caused death and destruction in the troubled Darfur region in the past three weeks.

Sudan's UN ambassador said he had visited Ban to deny the attacks.

In a statement issued by his office yesterday, Ban said reported bombings in North Darfur had also driven more civilians from their homes.

In one case, he said, a school in the village of Um Rai was hit by rockets fired from a government helicopter. Ban gave no other details of places or times of incidents.

''The Secretary-General strongly urges the Government of Sudan to cease all attacks and to comply fully with the Darfur Peace Agreement, Security Council resolutions and international humanitarian law,'' the statement said.

''He further calls on both the Government and all movements to immediately stop military hostilities and cooperate fully with the African Union and United Nations team which is leading efforts to mediate an end to this devastating conflict.'' Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem told Reuters he had informed Ban the reports were untrue and had been spread by people out to torpedo peace talks. He had chided the U.N.

chief for not checking with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

The United Nations says some 200,000 people have died and more than 2 million have fled their homes since the conflict flared in 2003 when rebels took up arms against the government, accusing it of neglect. Sudan says only 9,000 have perished.

The world body has sent some peacekeepers to Darfur, in western Sudan, and is trying to get agreement with the Khartoum government on more.

Reuters

Related Stories

China pushes Sudan to let UN troops into Darfur
Darfur rebel resists pressure to join peace deal
Darfur rebels and Sudan army clash at Chad border
>