UN chief disturbed by reported deadly air raid in Darfur

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on January 28 he was deeply disturbed by reports that Sudanese government airplanes have bombed a village in the north of the war-scarred Darfur region, leaving casualties of up to 100.

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Annan described the attack as "the latest in a series of grave ceasefire violations that have resulted in a large number of civilian casualties, the displacement of thousands of people, and severe access restrictions for relief workers."

Annan urged both the Sudanese government and rebel movements in Darfur to comply fully with their commitments under the ceasefire agreement they struck in April last year.

Monitors from the African Union (AU) reported on Thursday that the Sudanese air force bombed the village of Rahad Kabolong, near the town of Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur state, on Wednesday. UN humanitarian agencies have declared the location around Rahad Kabolong to be a "no-go" area for their staff until further notice.

The air raid has so far not been confirmed by the Sudanese government.

The Darfur conflict, which flared up in early 2003, has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and driven more than 1.8 million others from their homes. Darfur, abutting Chad, is an impoverished and isolated region the size of France in west Sudan.

Source: Xinhua