Sudan News: US condemns bombing of civilians
Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir’s government is resisting U.S. and UN aid.
Sudanese children take shelter in caves in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan province as government bombers pass overhead on July 13, 2011. Thousands of people from the Nuba region have fled to caves after repeated attacks by Sudan government forces on civilian areas.
The United States strongly condemns the bombing by the Sudanese Armed Forces of civilians in Sudan's Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
US President Barack Obama's administration issued a statement denouncing aerial attacks in Sudan on civilian targets as "unjustified and unacceptable."
"Such attacks are a violation of international law and compound the ongoing crisis in these areas," said the statement issued by the White House.
"We continue to be deeply concerned by the ongoing fighting and lack of humanitarian access in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States in Sudan, which is causing tremendous human suffering, death, and displacement. In particular, we urge the Sudanese government to grant immediate and unconditional humanitarian access to civilian populations in need in these areas," said the statement.
"More than 500,000 people are affected by this conflict, and without humanitarian access by March, the situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile will reach Stage 4 of a humanitarian emergency, one step short of full-scale famine," said the statement. "We believe that this conflict can only be resolved by dialogue, not through violence, and we encourage all parties to negotiate a peaceful settlement."
The White House statement was welcomed by Sudan activists.
Enough Project Executive Director John Bradshaw praised “the strong statement from the White House on the emergent situation in Sudan and South Sudan."
"Now the U.S. should take a leadership role, acting in concert with the larger international community, and with or without the permission of the Khartoum regime, to deliver food and medical aid to civilians in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states,” said Bradshaw.
Earlier this week Enough Project and six other activist groups urged the Obama administration to deliver food aid and medicine to Sudan civilians in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The organizations charged that the civilians are being targeted by the Sudan government.