CIVILIAN SLAUGHTER FROM THE AIR IN SUDAN
The Khartoum regime continues without abatement its aerial slaughter of civilians—and the world looks silently away. The murderous National Islamic Front rains down bombs on schools, churches, hospitals, refugee centers, open markets—and the news media shrug. The “government” of Sudan, confident that its new oil wealth will permit a military “final solution,” destroys countless lives and livelihood throughout southern Sudan with impunity.
This has become the real meaning of the “constructive engagement” that Talisman Energy of Canada celebrates in defending its presence in Sudan. These continuing aerial attacks are among the real consequences of the hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues accruing to Khartoum because of oil development—oil development made possible by Talisman, Petronas of Malaysia, China National Petroleum Corp., European concession holders, BP Amoco, and the other corporate players whose rapacious instincts have blinded them to the agony of Sudan’s people.
Eric Reeves [November 20, 2000]
Smith College ereeves@smith.edu
Northampton, MA 01063
413-585-3326
With a sickening repetitiveness, the wire reports, diocesan reports, reports from humanitarian organizations in southern Sudan pour out into a world that seems incapable of responding to attacks that should be the occasion for shock, revulsion, and the profoundest moral outrage.
Is there any other place in the world where a recognized government bombs—without visibility or consequence—its own civilian population? Have the prospects for oil so blinded the vision of European and Asian governments that they cannot muster the moral strength to say, “No more!”—and mean it? Will Canada not condemn the complicity in these bombings of its largest oil company? Will the US do anything of significance to follow up on President Clinton’s welcome, if belated condemnation of these unspeakable atrocities?
Yei, Narus, Ikotos, Nimule, Tapari, Jambo, Pajok, Lui, Maiwut, and many, many more—names attaching to real towns, with real children and adults, victimized by the all too real shrapnel-wrapped barrel-bombs dropped from Antonov bombers of the Khartoum regime. Just today, Reuters is reporting on one attack in which a bomb landed in the middle of an open market at Yei, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens of others.
The frequency of such assaults is appalling. On November 7, 2000, the US Committee for Refugees (Washington, DC) released the results of its careful analysis of civilian in bombings in southern Sudan:
“Sudanese government military planes have bombed civilian and humanitarian targets in Sudan at least 113 times this year–including twice in the past four days–according to a review of bombing incidents by international humanitarian relief workers and local church organizations in southern Sudan.”
Why are there no outcries from the governments of Europe? Why does Canada say nothing about the clear consequences of Talisman’s presence in Sudan? Why do Petronas of Malaysia and China National Petroleum Corp. suffer no consequences for their investment in this civilian carnage?
When will the deadly silence end?
[Attached are just a few of the recent reports.]
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News Article by REUTERS posted on November 20,
2000 at 12:34:16: EST (-5 GMT)
Sudan attack kills 10 in rebel-held town—aid group
NAIROBI, Nov 20 (Reuters) – At least 10 people were killed and dozens of others injured when a Sudanese air force plane bombed a market in the rebel-held southern town of Yei on Monday, an aid organisation said.
“Our agents said the bombs fell at 2:45 p.m. (1145 GMT),” said Dan Eiffe, a spokesman for the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) group which has operations in south Sudan.
“We heard the news by radio. Apparently the bombs landed
smack in the middle of a market place. It is carnage,” he added.
Yei, with a normal population of around 80,000, is the largest town held by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in south Sudan.
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6-Nov-2000 — ZENIT News Agency
SUDANESE BOMBS DESTROY CLASSROOM AND HOMES
Khartoum’s Attacks Continue on Civilian and Humanitarian Targets in South
NIMULE, Sudan, NOV. 5, 2000 (ZENIT.org).- Homes and a classroom were destroyed and a refugee-aid center was damaged Oct. 22 when an army plane bombed a densely inhabited part of this city in southern Sudan. A day-care center narrowly missed being hit.
According to a Catholic missionary in Nimule, the first bombing occurred at 11:30 a.m. At 2 p.m., while people were still assessing the damage, the plane reappeared and dropped another dozen 12 bombs, the missionary said.
Four of the bombs exploded near the St. Bakhita day-care center, managed by the Torit Diocese, next to the area where the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) operates an educational project, where the classroom was destroyed.
Other bombs, some falling five meters from the JRS facility, shook the earth and buildings, damaging a wall and destroying the windows, according to a JRS official.
Seven bombs exploded near the headquarters of the Torit Diocese and Catholic Relief Services. Another bomb fell near the Norwegian People’s Aid center.
There is no news on the wounded. Most people have moved to other areas of the city. Few children are now attending school.
The Islamic fundamentalist government in Khartoum has been bombing civilian and humanitarian targets in the Christian and animist south. In early October, targets in Parajok and Ikotos were bombed, in the latter while Catholic Relief Services was distributing food.
According to Father Stephen Power, director of JRS in East Africa, the recent bombing of civilians is a clear violation of the 10-day cease-fire declared by the government and the Movement/Army of Liberation of the Sudanese People, to enable UNICEF to carry out an anti-polio vaccination program for 4.5 million children. ZE00110501
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November 17, 2000
PRESS RELEASE
IKOTOS AND NGALUMA DISPLACED CAMP RAIDED AT NIGHT BY THE GOS ANTONOV
It was a sleepless night to the people of Ikotos and Ngaluma displaced camp when an Antonov plane unexpectedly woke up the civil population at 10:10pm with thunders of a total of twelve (12) deadly bombs. Our sources said, six (6) bombs landed around the airstrip of Ikotos and also six (6) of them at Ngaluma camp. The raid was done simultaneously.
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It’s worth noting that the Russian made Antonov simultaneously raided Ikotos and Ngaluma displaced camp on November 3, 2000 destroying houses, and injuring a number of people. In November 2, Palotaka was raided. There were no report of injuries and deaths. On Thursday, 9th same month, Narus was bombed killing two (2) men and four (4) women and injuring seven (7) people.
Jervasio O.Okot
Social Communications office
Diocese of Torit-Sudan
c/o Regina Pacis House
P.O.Box 52802
Nairobi,KENYA
Tel: 254-2-743855/741798
Fax 254-2-748523
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14 November 2000
CHURCH BOMBED IN SUDAN
– British, American and South African Missionaries Under Fire
– Evangelism Workshop Bombarded
A Frontline Fellowship mission team just returned from Southern Sudan report being subjected to intensive aerial bombardment by the Government of Sudan Air Force.
On Sunday morning 5 November, as Christians were gathering for worship an Antonov bomber made repeated bombing raids at Tapari and Jambo in Equatoria province of Southern Sudan. A total of 22 bombs were dropped close to the churches in each location.
A Frontline Fellowship team of American, British and South African citizens conducting an Evangelism Explosion leadership training clinic for pastors, chaplains and teachers had to evacuate the Episcopal Church in Jambo as bombs rained down. Eight bombs landed within 100 metres of the church. One huge bomb exploded less than 20 metres from where the Director of Frontline Fellowship, Dr. Peter Hammond, was – covering him in the dirt and debris of the explosion. Bomb fragments and pieces of shrapnel were found up to 200 metres away. Incredibly no one was injured or killed in this attack!
As the church was the only structure in the area it was clearly the
target – especially at 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. During the week the church building is used as a Christian Primary School.