By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
KHARTOUM, Sudan — Weeks of fighting in parts of Darfur have raised concern over the plight of civilians, as insecurity has prompted humanitarian agencies to suspend activities in some areas.
More than 10,000 are thought to be displaced as a result of the recent clashes, but the United Nations says the ongoing insecurity is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching much of the affected civilian populations.
OCHA spokesman Sam Hendricks commenting on the recent fighting said, “It’s been confirmed in our reports that there were clashes between government forces and rebel groups. And where we don’t have reliable information, there is really nothing that we can say at this stage,” Hendricks said.
In these recent clashes, the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, Abdel Wahid Nour faction (SLA-Nour), which refuses to join peace talks with the Sudanese government until a full cessation of hostilities is implemented, has accused government forces of attacking its positions east of Jebel Marra.
“There were random air attacks on villages,” Al-Sadeq Al-Zein Rokero, an official with SLM-Nour faction, said. “The situation is very tragic. This may be the most violent attack by the Sudanese armed forces.”
However, Sudan’s army spokesman, Al Sawarmi Khaled, denied there had been any government military action. “The armed forces are present in the area to preserve order. They did not clash with Abdel Wahid’s forces.”
The US State Department cast doubt on this denial in a statement expressing extreme concern “about reports that Government of Sudan forces are conducting offensive operations against … [SLA-Nour] positions in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur that have reportedly caused significant civilian casualties, displacement, and the evacuation of humanitarian organizations”.
The statement called on both parties “to refrain from further violence and to allow the Joint African Union-UN Mission in Darfur access to Jebel Marra to assess the humanitarian situation and restore stability”.
French aid group, Médecins du Monde (MdM), the only medical NGO in the Deribat area in eastern Jebel Marra, was forced to suspend operations after attacks last week. In the towns affected by the fighting – Marra, Kidingeer, Leiba and Fugoli, Feina and Deribat – three other NGOs suspended operations because of insecurity and fighting, Hendricks said.
“The situation is very bad. We are really concerned,” said Jerome Larche, head of MdM’s Sudan programme. The population no longer had access to any medical facility, Larche said.
Malnutrition, which the French aid group was addressing, and access to clean water were among the main problems for the population in the area, Larche said.
“After the fighting started, we had reports that six children died from malnutrition complications. The rate of acute malnutrition is going to increase if we cannot go back to the area soon,” Larche said.
In anticipation of urgent needs, the World Health Organization and NGO partners have pre-positioned emergency health supplies for transfer to Kulbus hospital.
To date, more than 300,000 are thought to have died in the Darfur conflict, although Khartoum rejects these figures.
For more information, please see:
Voice of America – Darfur Peace Talks Threatened; Clashes Continue – 3 March 2010
News 24 – UN: No Darfur disaster – 3 March 2010
All Africa – No Access After Darfur Clashes – 3 March 2010
