It has been suggested that there is presently in Sudan a lull in the bombing of civilian and humanitarian targets by the Khartoum regime. The surmising is that the National Islamic Front is signaling to the US its willingness to become more accommodating of concerns about the regime’s genocidal policies in the south and the Nuba region. Recent reports make clear that this is not the case.
Eric Reeves [April 18, 2001]
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063
413-585-3326
ereeves@smith.edu
Recent reports of deliberate aerial bombardment of civilian and humanitarian targets—in Bahr el-Ghazal Province, Upper Nile Province, Blue Nile Province, and the Nuba region—come from:
Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana, Comboni Missionary, President of Amani
Stephen Amin, Koinonia Community Project Co-ordinator;
PetersVoice News (dateline: Kauda, in the Nuba region);
The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement;
Organizations operating in Sudan that cannot report for attribution for fear of creating security issues for their humanitarian work in the south.
Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana (Comboni missionary) and Stephen Amin, (Koinonia Community Project Co-ordinator) report on the April 16, 2001 attack in the Nuba region in the following terms (complete report attached):
“At 9 a.m. on April 16, 2001, a relief plane was on the ground and another one was about to land on the Kauda airstrip in the Nuba Mountains, an area controlled by the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA). Hundreds of civilians were gathered at the airstrip, either to bid farewell to their visitors or to prepare to carry the goods that had come. Suddenly, an Antonov bomber, the noise of which was masked by the plane about to take off, arrived unnoticed by the large crowd and started dropping bombs. The pilot of the approaching aircraft decided to abort the landing, and while the Antonov was coming back, the plane on the ground took off in a hurry with its passengers.
“The Antonov came back twice, dropping a total of about 14 bombs. Three hours later, another aircraft was able to evacuate the remaining visitors, which included the two writers of this release and officials of Italian NGOs. The delegation’s aim was to visit Koinonia Educational Centre, a centre that will provide education for 500 children and for 50 teachers every year. The relief aircraft was carrying educational materials, soap, salt, medicines, and seeds.
“One person was killed and two injured in the attack, a surprisingly low death toll considering the large crowd on the ground when the attack took place.”
Peter’s Voice News also reports (April 17, 2001) on the Nuba bombing (attached).
The SPLA/M reported that Wunrok (Bahr el-Ghazal) was the subject of a bombing attack by Khartoum on April 11, 2001. 14 bombs were dropped on Wunrok at 11:00am, evidently targeting the two humanitarian organizations operating in the town. Also targeted was the airstrip, which is used mainly for relief operations. The Antonov bomber is reported to have moved eastwards to attack Pandiet Amiol, where it bombed a herd of grazing cattle. More than 200 cattle are reported to have been killed.
Subsequently, the government’s Antonov attack moved further eastward to drop bombs on Aweng Payam (Twic County). The civil administration center of Aweng was reportedly completely destroyed, and a number of grazing animals were killed or wounded.
These civilian bombings should be seen in the context of the bombing attacks that continue steadily in Blue Nile Province, where there is virtually no ongoing NGO presence to provide confirmation, but where civilian populations report regular aerial assaults.
They should also be seen in light of the confirmed bombings near Heiban in Southern Kordofan on March 8 and 9, 2001; the bombing of Mankien on March 14, 2001; and the Antonov intimidation flights over Wulu and Yirol in Bahr el-Ghazal on March 14, 17, and 20, 2001.
Those who are victims of the Khartoum regime’s ongoing aerial assault on civilian populations and humanitarian relief are hardly to be blamed if they are not persuaded that the regime is sending “peaceful signals.”
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Nairobi, 17 April 2001
Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana, Comboni Missionary, President of Amani
Stephen Amin, Koinonia Community Project Co-ordinator
KOINONIA COMMUNITY
P. O. Box 21255, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel.: +254.2.576175
e-mail: koinonia@maf.or.ke
PRESS RELEASE
Khartoum bombs civilians and relief planes in Nuba Mountains
At 9 a.m. on April 16, 2001, a relief plane was on the ground and another one was about to land on the Kauda airstrip in the Nuba Mountains, an area controlled by the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army (SPLA). Hundreds of civilians were gathered at the airstrip, either to bid farewell to their visitors or to prepare to carry the goods that had come. Suddenly, an Antonov bomber, the noise of which was masked by the plane about to take off, arrived unnoticed by the large crowd and started dropping bombs. The pilot of the approaching aircraft decided to abort the landing, and while the Antonov was coming back, the plane on the ground took off in a hurry with its passengers.
The Antonov came back twice, dropping a total of about 14 bombs. Three hours later, another aircraft was able to evacuate the remaining visitors, which included the two writers of this release and officials of Italian NGOs. The delegation’s aim was to visit Koinonia Educational Centre, a centre that will provide education for 500 children and for 50 teachers every year. The relief aircraft was carrying educational materials, soap, salt, medicines, and seeds.
One person was killed and two injured in the attack, a surprisingly low death toll considering the large crowd on the ground when the attack took place.
Abdel Aziz Adam al-Hilu, the SPLA commander responsible for the rebel troops on the ground, expressed the opinion that the attack was aimed at destroying the military defence that the SPLA is stepping up around the airstrip.
The Khartoum government’s bombing of an airstrip that is a vital link for civilians and the SPLA has to be seen in the context of a genocidal war against the Nuba and the idea of self-determination they stand for. We are no longer surprised that Khartoum carries out military attacks when and where civilian presence is very high.
What is totally unacceptable is the passive attitude of the United Nations. For a long time, relief organisations, human rights groups, and churches have been pushing to gain access to the Nuba Mountains to deliver food and other relief supplies. In spite of this campaign, the United Nations has not been able or willing to negotiate with the Khartoum government to set up an effective humanitarian access.
Moreover, when incidents such as this latest bombing take place, the United Nations never gives a word of protest.
The United Nations must ask the Khartoum government to stop such military actions against humanitarian intervention and must push for guaranteed humanitarian access to the Nuba Mountains.
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Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana, Comboni Missionary, President of Amani
Stephen Amin, Koinonia Community Project Co-ordinator
Nairobi, 17 April 2001
For more information contact Fr. Kizito: kizito@maf.or.ke, or +254.2.571072, or +254.72.516836
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“Khartoum Attacks Catholic Bishop’s Plane in Nuba Mountains”
KAUDA, SUDAN, April 17 (PetersVoice News) — Sudanese air force bombers attacked an airstrip in the remote Nuba Mountains Monday, narrowly missing a plane carrying Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El Obeid diocese in central Sudan.
The bishop, a long-time champion of Sudan’s marginalized peoples, was making his Easter pastoral visit to rural parishes here on the frontlines of Sudan’s 18-year-old civil war.
The bishop and his entourage escaped unhurt, but, according to the latest reports, one Nuba militiaman was killed and two civilians seriously injured in the mid-morning attack on the air field by a Russian-made Antonov bomber, Khartoum’s instrument of choice in its escalating bombing campaign against civilian targets in rebel-held, or liberated areas of southern and central Sudan.
The incident took place at about 9 AM as the Church leader and his entourage boarded their Buffalo cargo plane, after having celebrated Holy Week services with Nuba congregations in the area. The group was on its way to northern Bahr al-Ghazal to celebrate Easter with Catholics there. Without warning, six barrel bombs, or, anti-personnel weapons, were dropped with a string of thuds just beyond the end of the dirt landing strip, detonating not more than 500 feet from the plane.
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This was the second aerial attack in as many days in the Nuba Mountains. Bombers had been seen hovering over the area ever since the bishop’s arrival earlier in the week. Sunday, April 15, Easter Sunday, Antonovs struck a site near Lumun, with no casualties reported. Late reports indicate that bombers continued their assault today with a series of random bombings around the Kauda area.
The Easter Monday bombing at the Kauda airstrip marks the most serious attack yet on the Church leader and veteran human rights spokesman. In 1998, Khartoum-sponsored bombing raids marred Gassis-led Christmas festivities in the Nuba Mountains. Last year Antonovs pelted Kauda with barrel bombs on December 23, site of Monday’s incident, forcing the bishop to delay his plans to visit the region for Christmas.