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Amnesty Accuses Sudan of War Crimes

Amnesty Accuses Sudan of War Crimes
Amnesty Accuses Sudan of War Crimes

Amnesty International said on Tuesday the Sudanese Army had committed war crimes in the conflict-hit South Kordofan region, including bombing and shelling civilian areas and infrastructure.

“Sudanese Armed Forces have been raining down bombs and shells indiscriminately on civilian populations, destroying lives and livelihoods and triggering a major humanitarian crisis,” Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director Michelle Kagari said in a statement, Middle East Online reported.

The rights watchdog said a team of its researchers had visited rebel-occupied parts of South Kordofan in May, where they found evidence that government forces had used cluster munitions and targeted civilian buildings, including schools and medical facilities.

The watchdog said between January and April this year, at least 35 civilians were killed in aerial bombardments and artillery shelling.

Government forces have been facing a rebellion in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-North since 2011.

The research team did not visit government-controlled areas of the region because Khartoum regularly denies foreign rights groups access to South Kordofan and Blue Nile, as well as to Darfur where it has faced another insurgency since 2003.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir is also wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes connected to the 12-year insurgency in the western Darfur region.

 

Financialtribune.com