Comunicato stampa

["Amani Onlus" <amani at iol.it> (by way of Enrico Marcandalli <ramalkandy at iol.it>)]

COMUNICATO  STAMPA

Il governo sudanese bombarda civili e velivoli umanitari nei Monti Nuba

Il 16 aprile 2001 l'aviazione
governativa sudanese ha bombardato la pista d'atterraggio di Kauda nel
territorio dei Monti Nuba del Sudan sganciando 14 bombe che hanno causato
un morto e due feriti gravi tra la popolazione civile e per poco non
hanno distrutto due velivoli utilizzati per trasportare aiuti umanitari.
L'azione delle forze governative sudanesi mira ad interrompere l'invio di
aiuti umanitari nei Monti Nuba attraverso la pista d'atterraggio di
Kauda, l'unica ancora in mano al movimento anti governativo Sudan People
Liberation Army (SPLA).
Di seguito è riportato il comunicato stampa redatto da Renato Kizito
Sesana (Presidente di Amani) e da Stephen Amin (Koinonia Community
Project Co-ordinator), entrambi presenti al momento dell'attacco.

PRESS RELEASE

Khartoum bombs civilians and relief planes in Nuba Mountains

At 9 a.m. on April 16, 2001, a
relief plane was on the ground and another one was about to land on the
Kauda airstrip in the Nuba Mountains, an area controlled by the Sudan
Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA). Hundreds of civilians were gathered at
the airstrip, either to bid farewell to their visitors or to prepare to
carry the goods that had come. Suddenly, an Antonov bomber, the noise of
which was masked by the plane about to take off, arrived unnoticed by the
large crowd and started dropping bombs. The pilot of the approaching
aircraft decided to abort the landing, and while the Antonov was coming
back, the plane on the ground took off in a hurry with its passengers.

The Antonov came back twice, dropping a total of about 14 bombs. Three
hours later, another aircraft was able to evacuate the remaining
visitors, which included the two writers of this release and officials of
Italian NGOs. The delegation s aim was to visit Koinonia Educational
Centre, a centre that will provide education for 500 children and for 50
teachers every year. The relief aircraft was carrying educational
materials, soap, salt, medicines, and seeds.

One person was killed and two injured in the attack, a surprisingly low
death toll considering the large crowd on the ground when the attack took
place.

Abdel Aziz Adam al-Hilu, the SPLA commander responsible for the rebel
troops on the ground, expressed the opinion that the attack was aimed at
destroying the military defence that the SPLA is stepping up around the
airstrip.

The Khartoum government s bombing of an airstrip that is a vital link for
civilians and the SPLA has to be seen in the context of a genocidal war
against the Nuba and the idea of self-determination they stand for. We
are no longer surprised that Khartoum carries out military attacks when
and where civilian presence is very high.

What is totally unacceptable is the passive attitude of the United
Nations. For a long time, relief organisations, human rights groups, and
churches have been pushing to gain access to the Nuba Mountains to
deliver food and other relief supplies. In spite of this campaign, the
United Nations has not been able or willing to negotiate with the
Khartoum government to set up an effective humanitarian access. 

Moreover, when incidents such as this latest bombing take place, the
United Nations never gives a word of protest.

The United Nations must ask the Khartoum government to stop such military
actions against humanitarian intervention and must push for guaranteed
humanitarian access to the Nuba Mountains.

 

Fr. Renato Kizito Sesana,
Comboni Missionary, President of Amani

Stephen Amin, Koinonia Community Project Co-ordinator

Nairobi, 17 April 2001

For more information contact Fr. Kizito:
kizito at maf.or.ke,
or +254.2.571072, or +254.72.516836
 
 
 
 
 

____________________________________
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