News from the Washington File
13 February 2002
Sudan Government Breaks Pledge to End Aerial Attacks on Civilians
(February 10 bombing killed two children at food drop) (360)
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher issued a statement February
12 expressing U.S. outrage at the Sudanese government's aerial strike
against a civilian target in the south of the country.
Boucher said the action on February 10 breaks "Khartoum's pledge to
the U.S. special envoy for peace in Sudan, Senator John Danforth, to
end bombings of civilian targets for a period of four weeks."
Following is the text of Boucher's statement as released by his
office:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
February 12, 2002
STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN
Aerial Attacks In Southern Sudan
The United States is outraged by the Government of Sudan's aerial
strike against a civilian target in the south of the country. They
have broken Khartoum's pledge to the U.S. Special Envoy for Peace in
Sudan, Senator John Danforth, to end bombings of civilian targets for
a period of four weeks.
On Sunday, February 10, six government bombs killed two Sudanese
children in Akuem, Bahr al-Ghazal State. The Sudanese air force
dropped the bombs on a World Food Program emergency drop site only
three hours after an airdrop of food commodities. Civilians were still
on the ground collecting food at the time of the attack. The World
Food Program aircraft had received flight clearance from the Sudanese
government and had originated from a government airfield. This
horrific and senseless attack indicates that the pattern of
deliberately targeting civilians and humanitarian operations
continues.
This attack comes at a time when the United States is working with the
Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government on ways
to end attacks on civilians -- a crucial unresolved issue in the
Danforth initiative and an important building block in efforts to end
the Sudan conflict. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to reach
an agreement with the government. The Akuem attack underlines the
importance of resolving this issue as soon as possible and of setting
up a viable verification mechanism to prevent tis type of tragedy from
being repeated in the future.
(end text)
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