Eight Civilians Killed In Sudan'S Weekend Bombings Of South Sudan

[News_Editor]

Eight civilians killed in Sudan's weekend bombings of South Sudan 2012-04-18 20:20:31 GMT+7 (ICT) DARFUR, SOUTH SUDAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least eight civilians were killed and nearly two dozen others were injured when Sudanese forces carried out airstrikes in the newly-independent nation of South Sudan, officials said on Tuesday.Sudanese forces have carried out bombing raids in civilian areas of South Sudan since last weekend, including five explosions which hit Bentiu in Unity state and the town of Mayom where a logistics base of the United Nations (UN) Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is located.According to UN officials, at least eight civilians are believed to have died in the attacks while 22 others were injured, some seriously.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned the 'indiscriminate aerial bombing,' adding that in the past week, the UN has seen intensified use of Antonov war planes as well as fighter jets dropping bombs and launching rocket attacks, including in areas close to the offices of international organizations."Such deplorable attacks must stop immediately," Pillay demanded, reiterating the UN's deep concern over continuing hostilities between the two countries, including the impact of the conflict on civilians. Pillay also voiced alarm at South Sudan's 'unwarranted occupation' of the oil-producing region of Heglig in Sudan's South Kordofan state, as well as reports of a dramatic build-up in the number of northern militia in the disputed Abyei area over the past few days.In addition, Pillay supported the call by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convene a planned presidential summit of the two countries as soon as possible. She also called for a renewed commitment, from both sides, to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which formally ended 22 years of civil war between Sudan and South Sudan, before the latter's independence last year.UNMISS chief Hilde Johnson also called on both parties to "abide by international human rights and humanitarian law, protect civilians and guarantee the safety of international aid organizations and United Nations personnel and assets."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-04-18

[Steely Dan]

It is indeed high time we stop beating around the bush and refer to the murder of the Nuba tribe as genocide by the North Sudan government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/06/act-now-stop-genocide-sudan-nuba

This is not just genocide but ethnic cleansing of non-Islamic people by the Northern Sudan regime. If the boot was on the other foot as with Bosnia there would be little hesitation labeling these atrocities as religiously motivated.

[folium]

It is indeed high time we stop beating around the bush and refer to the murder of the Nuba tribe as genocide by the North Sudan government.

http://www.guardian....cide-sudan-nuba

This is not just genocide but ethnic cleansing of non-Islamic people by the Northern Sudan regime. If the boot was on the other foot as with Bosnia there would be little hesitation labeling these atrocities as religiously motivated.

The government of Sudan (there is no such thing as "North Sudan", any more than there is an East Virginia!) is certainly culpable of crimes against humanity but your predictable anti-muslim approach is way too superficial.

While an easy route to gaining publicity etc it overlooks the far more complicated nature of conflict in Sudan, whilst in no way belittling the crimes involved. Khartoum's brutal treatment of peripheral regions of the country (including before the separation those of South Sudan) is driven not simply by religion but by ethnicity (ie race) and tribal considerations. If Darfur was predominantly Christian or animist or indeed Nubians were also, you would have a better case. The Nubians and Darfuris are actually predominantly muslim, black and members of tribes very far from the Arab government in Khartoum.

See below an excellent series of maps highlighting some of the many issues plaguing Sudan/South Sudan.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12115013

The bottom line is that many Nubian are getting caught up in the renewed conflict between north and south and the SPLM-N in the Nubian mountains, having been a stronghold for southern insurgents during the civil war, were left on the wrong side of the partition lline and are now being ruthlessly repressed.