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UN reports more shooting incidents in Sudan's Darfur region

1 February 2005 – In further violence in the war-torn Darfur region, the UN mission in Sudan said today it had received reports from the African Union (AU) monitoring team that two AU teams have been shot at in different locations, prompting Secretary-General Kofi Annan to condemn the attacks and call on the parties to respect the neutrality of the African observers.

A statement issued by Mr. Annan's spokesman said the Secretary-General shared the AU's "serious concern" about the shooting at two Union monitors yesterday in South Darfur.

The first incident occurred in an area south of Nyala, where AU monitors were investigating an attack on a village. The second occurred near Shangil Tobai, where another team was investigating reports that aerial bombings had taken place last week. No casualties have been confirmed in the either incident.

"He strongly condemns this attack, which could jeopardize the fulfilment of the African Union mission in Darfur and which occurred at a time when the military observers were conducting investigations to verify allegations of aerial bombardments and other violations of the N'Djamena ceasefire agreement," the statement said, referring to an accord signed last year in the Chadian capital to halt fighting and allow access by aid groups.

"He calls upon the Government and rebel forces in Darfur to respect the neutrality of African Union monitors, observers and police, as well as all international humanitarian workers, and to guarantee that they operate in the region under conditions of safety and security," it added.

"He also urges them to investigate the shooting incident and take immediate action against those found responsible."

Yesterday the UN Advance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS) cited reports of several incidents of violence in the region, where tens of thousands of people have been killed and at least 1.8 million others forced from their homes since rebels took up arms against the Government in early 2003, partly in protest at the distribution of economic resources.

A commission of inquiry appointed late last year by Mr. Annan has found the Government and Janjaweed militia responsible for "serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law amounting to crimes under international law," though not of genocide itself.

The panel also found credible evidence that rebel forces were responsible for possible war crimes, though not on a systematic or widespread basis.