Sudan Government Attacks the Displaced Camps in Blue Nile, 8,000 on the Run
The Sudanese army and their allied militia have re-started a military dry season campaign beginning February 14th up to this morning, February 17th, in a heavily populated area with internally displaced civilians at Muffa Village and the surrounding area, 21 kilometers southwest of Kurmuk. The fighting has gone on for the last three days with heavy aerial bombardment from Sudan’s airforce on the displaced camps in the village that resulted in putting 8,000 civilian displaced populations on the run towards the Ethiopian and South Sudan borders. It is to be noted seriously that the aerial and ground bombardment of the Sudanese army and their allied militia resulted in the displacement of more than 70% of the inhabitants of the rural Blue Nile, and as of now, nearly 200,000 from the civilian populations are refugees in Ethiopia and South Sudan. The civilian populations, some of them reached the Gouz Village in southwest Blue Nile this morning. This attack came in continuation of the implementation of the scorched earth policy of the Sudan government which resulted in genocide and war crimes in Darfur, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. It is coming in a complete disregard to the African Union and the UN Security Council Resolution 2046 and at the time when the AUHIP is calling for peace talks. It came as an immediate response to General Bashir’s statement two days ago that he is not ready to negotiate peace with the SPLM-N and that he will not send his delegation and he will settle militarily the situation in Darfur and the two areas.
What is taking place is civilians are being attacked from the air and on the ground and they are denied access to humanitarian assistance for more than 20 months in front of the eyes and ears of the regional and international communities. If we do not call that a war crime, what do we call it in international humanitarian law?
We call on the African Union and the UN Security Council to stop the attacks by the Sudan government on civilian populations, to discharge their responsibility to protect civilians, and to open access for humanitarian assistance. We reiterate the readiness of the SPLM-N for an immediate humanitarian cessation of hostilities.
Yasir Arman
Secretary General, SPLM-N
February 17, 2013