Sudan jets ‘bomb Darfur village’

The UN has been heavily involved in easing the humanitarian crisis in Darfur

Sudan has carried out an air strike on a village in the troubled western Darfur region, the UN says.

A team of peacekeepers is trying to enter the area of Sukamir in north Darfur to assess the damage, UN officials say.

If confirmed it would be the second Sudanese air strike in Darfur in three days.

The UN has accused pro-government Arab militias of a campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arabs in Darfur.

It says as many as 300,000 people have died, although Khartoum contests this.

Unamid, the UN mission in Darfur, said in a statement on Wednesday that warplanes on Tuesday had struck Sukamir, which is near Kuma, about 100km (60 miles) north of the main regional city of El Fasher.

It said a team had been sent to the area “to collect information on possible casualties and newly displaced persons”.

The statement added that UN flights to the regions of Shangil Tobaya, Fanga Suk and other regions in north Darfur had been suspended.

It said Sudanese officials had restricted the movement of aid workers in the region, citing security concerns.

On Sunday, Sudanese warplanes bombed the town of Labado and the village of Esheraya in southern Darfur, according to the UN.

It was not clear if there had been casualties.

Unamid head Ibrahim Gambari expressed concern over the air strikes.

“I call upon all parties to exercise the utmost restraint in the use of lethal force,” he said.

Sudanese President Omar Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to the conflict in the western Darfur.

He has dismissed the allegations.

South Sudan will become independent in July following a referendum in February. The vote followed years of conflict.

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