|
|
Reply
| | From: poetsays (Original Message) | Sent: 11/5/2004 10:45 PM |
Darfur Aid Groups Fear Fresh Violence, Move Staff
By Finbarr O'Reilly
EL FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Aid agencies fearing an upsurge of fighting in Sudan's troubled Darfur region have suspended operations and evacuated staff from the volatile Jebel Marra area in West Darfur state, U.N. officials said on Friday.
Tensions have steadily escalated in the arid west of Africa's largest country since African rebels took 18 Arab civilians hostage from a bus and ambushed a convoy transporting senior government officials through the region last month.
There were unconfirmed reports that the hostages may have been released on Friday after several thousand Arab militiamen, known as Janjaweed, threatened an offensive against the rebels, the United Nations said.
Lawlessness and insecurity have now forced aid groups working in the mountainous Jebel Marra region to evacuate staff from an area where 160,000 refugees rely on food handouts.
--The first U.S. shipment of food aid for refugees who have fled Darfur into neighboring Chad arrived in Libya on Friday, Libyan officials said.
"A U.S. ship carrying 6,540 tons of food, including 2,000 tons of sorghum and 2,000 tons of corn flour, just docked at Benghazi port," said a senior government official at the port.
"The U.S. food relief will be enough to feed 200,000 refugees in eastern Chad for two months," he said.
--Conflict erupted in Darfur in early 2003 when rebels launched a revolt against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglect and unust treatment.
The Janjaweed, who rebels say have government backing, responded by attacking villages and embarking on a wave of looting, raping and killing that drove more than 1.5 million people from their homes. Khartoum denies backing the Janjaweed |
|
First
Previous
2 of 2
Next
Last
|
|
Reply
| |
Thank you for this update!! Christ Followers <[email protected]> wrote:
Darfur Update
Reply
|
|
From: poetsays |
Darfur Aid Groups Fear Fresh Violence, Move Staff
By Finbarr O'Reilly
EL FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Aid agencies fearing an upsurge of fighting in Sudan's troubled Darfur region have suspended operations and evacuated staff from the volatile Jebel Marra area in West Darfur state, U.N. officials said on Friday.
Tensions have steadily escalated in the arid west of Africa's largest country since African rebels took 18 Arab civilians hostage from a bus and ambushed a convoy transporting senior government officials through the region last month.
There were unconfirmed reports that the hostages may have been released on Friday after several thousand Arab militiamen, known as Janjaweed, threatened an offensive against the rebels, the United Nations said.
Lawlessness and insecurity have now forced aid groups working in the mountainous Jebel Marra region to evacuate staff from an area where 160,000 refugees rely on
food handouts.
--The first U.S. shipment of food aid for refugees who have fled Darfur into neighboring Chad arrived in Libya on Friday, Libyan officials said.
"A U.S. ship carrying 6,540 tons of food, including 2,000 tons of sorghum and 2,000 tons of corn flour, just docked at Benghazi port," said a senior government official at the port.
"The U.S. food relief will be enough to feed 200,000 refugees in eastern Chad for two months," he said.
--Conflict erupted in Darfur in early 2003 when rebels launched a revolt against Sudan's government, accusing it of neglect and unust treatment.
The Janjaweed, who rebels say have government backing, responded by attacking villages and embarking on a wave of looting, raping and killing that drove more than 1.5 million people from their homes. Khartoum denies backing the Janjaweed | | View other groups in this
category.
Love, Suzy
|
|
|