UN condemns Sudan’s bombing of Jebel Marra

One man died and another was injured when the Sudanese Air Force bombed the area of Jebel Marra for the third day in a row. Seven villages were hit, the spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) reported. The UN have condemned the aerial bombardments on the area of Golo.

Thursday's bombardments on Sur Reng in westerne Jebel Marra also led to the burning of farms, livestock, and caused the villagers to flee their houses. Mustafa Tambour, the military spokesman for the SLM led by Abdel Wahid El Nur, told Dabanga that villager Adam Yagoub was killed, and Abdelwahab Ali Juma sustained injuries. Sur Reng is a stronghold of the Sudan Liberation Movement.

“The government's air force continued its bombardments on the area of Deribat in East Jebel Marra on Wednesday and Thursday,” he reported.

Witnesses from East Jebel Marra confirmed the reports to Dabanga, saying that Antonovs of the Sudanese Air Force bombed the areas north, west and south of Deribat. A number of cows were killed on Thursday. The area of Turdi in the southern part of Jebel Marra was also bombed on Wednesday, they said, without reporting any casualties.

'Exercise maximum restraint'

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the aerial bombardments and destruction of villages in Golo and its vicinity in Central Darfur state in a press statement on Thursday.

“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Darfur following reports of an escalation of hostilities between the Government of Sudan and the Darfur armed movements in Central Darfur. At least 36,000 civilians have been displaced due to hostilities,” a spokesperson said.

Golo, in the west of Jebel Marra, was bombed and shelled over the weekend and the beginning of this week. It was stormed by government forces on Saturday. The majority of the residents fled the town to the nearby valleys and mountains.

"At least 36,000 civilians have been displaced in Darfur owing to hostilities since the start of this year."

The UN chief urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, without delay, and fully assume their responsibility to prevent further displacement and suffering of civilian populations and resume dialogue to reach a political settlement to the Darfur conflict.

According to UN estimates, the number of people displaced by conflict in the region has increased to more than 430,000 since the beginning of 2014, of whom 300,000 remain displaced. This in addition to Darfur's more than two million of “long-term displaced”.