AU says SLA attacks in Shearia and Golo provoked Sudanese forces and prompted reprisal attacks by Janjaweed

The African Union says Janjaweed still continue to burn, kill and rape on an ever escalating scale in Darfur. Note this excerpt:

Baba Gana Kingibe, head of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) noted that Sudanese government troops had showed restraint, even in situations where they were clearly provoked, citing recent attacks by the SLA in Shearia, South Darfur on 16 January and Golo West Darfur on 23 January, 2006.

Both attacks in the mountainous Jebel Marra region in central Darfur resulted in high casualties and further displacement of people, he said, and prompted reprisal attacks by the Janjawid militia.

"These reprisal attacks, in fact, took further toll of human life, most of whom were innocent, unarmed villagers," he added.

Photo: Baba Gana Kingibe, head of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Courtesy IRIN.

Note, excerpt from Eric Reeves' latest analysis 4 Feb 2006:

"This replicates the basic pattern of genocidal behavior that has been in evidence for almost three years: rather than attack the rebel forces directly, Khartoum and its Janjaweed proxies have attacked defenseless civilians. By destroying what it deems the civilian base of support for the insurgency movement -- children, women, and men defined simply in terms of their ethnicity -- Khartoum hopes to crush the will and ability of the rebels."

Further reading:

Oct 3, 2005 Sudan admits using helicopter gunships in attack on Shearia South Darfur.