Thursday, 14 April 2011
An archive photo of Sudanese army. (File photo)
More than 20 people, including women and children, were killed in an attack by Sudanese paramilitary forces in the oil-producing South Kordofan, the state’s deputy said Thursday.
The official, Abdelaziz al-Hilu accused Governor Ahmed Harun, who is from a rival party, of “organizing an attack” by the Popular Defense Forces on the El-Faid Um Abdullah village.
The official, Abdelaziz al-Hilu accused Governor Ahmed Harun, who is from a rival party, of “organizing an attack” by the Popular Defense Forces on the El-Faid Um Abdullah village.
“They killed more than 20 people and burned between 300 and 500 houses in the early morning. Two women and four children were among those who burned inside the houses,” Mr. al-Hilu told AFP.
Governor Harun is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, while al-Hilu heads the northern branch of the south Sudan’s ruling party the SPLM.
The attack comes two weeks before the long-delayed gubernatorial and state assembly elections in the sensitive northern state. The elections are scheduled for May 2.
The elections were delayed because the SPLM strongly objected to a 2008 census, which it said grossly underestimated the state’s population.
A review of the census, which resulted in the geographic constituencies being redrawn, was published in November and added more than one million people to the original count.
The United Nations Mission in Sudan said it had sent out patrols to investigate the situation and a helicopter with UN aid agencies on board to conduct an assessment of humanitarian needs in the area. On April 30, the UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS) will end its mandate.
“Harun is trying to prevent the elections from taking place... The NCP is planning to create insecurity, and we expect worse things to happen. But we are determined to continue the campaign and to win these elections,” Mr. Hilu said.
South Sudan accounts for about 75 percent of Sudan’s oil output of 500,000 barrels per day, and it voted to become an independent country in July. Most of the north’s oil reserves have been discovered in South Kordofan. The overall proven oil reserves of Sudan are 6.8 billion barrels—the 20th largest in the world—according to the US Energy Information Administration. The country’s GDP is around $98 billion, and the per capita income is $2,200.
Sudan’s north-south civil war, which ended in 2005 after decades of fighting over differences over religion, ethnicity, ideology and oil, resulted in the loss of about 2 million lives.
(Dina Al-Shibeeb of Al Arabiya can be reached at: dina.ibrahim@mbc.net)
Governor Harun is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, while al-Hilu heads the northern branch of the south Sudan’s ruling party the SPLM.
The attack comes two weeks before the long-delayed gubernatorial and state assembly elections in the sensitive northern state. The elections are scheduled for May 2.
The elections were delayed because the SPLM strongly objected to a 2008 census, which it said grossly underestimated the state’s population.
A review of the census, which resulted in the geographic constituencies being redrawn, was published in November and added more than one million people to the original count.
The United Nations Mission in Sudan said it had sent out patrols to investigate the situation and a helicopter with UN aid agencies on board to conduct an assessment of humanitarian needs in the area. On April 30, the UN mission in Sudan (UNMIS) will end its mandate.
“Harun is trying to prevent the elections from taking place... The NCP is planning to create insecurity, and we expect worse things to happen. But we are determined to continue the campaign and to win these elections,” Mr. Hilu said.
South Sudan accounts for about 75 percent of Sudan’s oil output of 500,000 barrels per day, and it voted to become an independent country in July. Most of the north’s oil reserves have been discovered in South Kordofan. The overall proven oil reserves of Sudan are 6.8 billion barrels—the 20th largest in the world—according to the US Energy Information Administration. The country’s GDP is around $98 billion, and the per capita income is $2,200.
Sudan’s north-south civil war, which ended in 2005 after decades of fighting over differences over religion, ethnicity, ideology and oil, resulted in the loss of about 2 million lives.
(Dina Al-Shibeeb of Al Arabiya can be reached at: dina.ibrahim@mbc.net)
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