UN accuses Sudan of bombing Darfur Darfur has been described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis The United Nations says the Sudanese government has carried out fresh bombing raids in the province of Darfur using helicopter gunships. The UN's office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA) says in a statement that the attacks are thought to have targeted rebel groups.
The pro-government Janjaweed militia are also continuing to attack refugees in southern Darfur, it adds. The violence has already forced more people to flee. However, the Sudanese ambassador to Britain, Dr Hassan Abdin, said his government was working hard to rein in the Janjaweed. "My government has promised to finish the job which it started a few weeks ago on disarming the Janjaweed. Practical steps have been taken already," he told Britain's Channel 4 television news. Flights 'grounded' The OCHA is highly critical of the Sudanese government. It says that despite promising to improve humanitarian access, Khartoum has been placing so many restrictions on aid workers that access has actually got worse over the past week. DARFUR CONFLICT 1m displaced Up to 50,000 killed More at risk from disease and starvation Arab militias accused of ethnic cleansing Sudan blames rebels for starting conflict Arab press split on Darfur Text: UN Darfur agreement Flights operated by the World Food Programme have been inexplicably grounded, for example, while other aid agencies say they are having difficulty recruiting local staff because of government-imposed restrictions and delays. The UN refugee agency says that Sudan's government is putting pressure on internally displaced people to return to their villages, despite concerns over safety. Last week, the Sudanese government and the UN agreed on a plan to tackle the Darfur crisis, which included measures to provide safe areas around certain towns and villages. "We have interviewed people in hospital who tell us they have gone back to the villages... and have been shot by Janjaweed raiders," says United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Peter Kessler in Geneva. Arrest fears Meanwhile, the US State Department says it is investigating a claim by a human rights organisation that the Sudanese authorities have harassed and detained refugees in Darfur who talked to Secretary of State Colin Powell and other foreign officials. The report by Amnesty International claims there have been multiple arrests in Darfur in recent weeks of people who have expressed their views on the continuing violence to foreign journalists and to foreign officials. It says 15 men in the refugee camp in northern Darfur visited by Colin Powell at the end of June were arrested soon after the visit. Five others from the same camp were allegedly detained a few weeks later after a visit by the French foreign minister. Other people have been arrested after talking to members of the African Union ceasefire commission, it adds. -------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
