Sudan: Attacks reported in troubled Abyei region

Four villages in the disputed border area between North and South Sudan were bombarded Friday, according to the Enough Project.

The threee villages north of Abyei town were reportedly bombed, and a fourth was reportedly bombed or shelled, according to multiple reports from sources on the ground, said Enough. The Sudan Armed Forces conducted the bombings, said the sources. These reports have not been officially confirmed. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to visit the Abyei area on May 23.

“The Khartoum regime is apparently repeating its favorite war tactic — bombardment of civilian populations — which has been used with such negative effect in Darfur and the South during the war,” said John Prendergast, Enough co-founder. “This cannot be allowed to continue. The Security Council needs to take firm and aggressive action against such provocation.”

The attack allegations come shortly after the United States envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman, said he is reasonably optimistic that South Sudan will become independent peacefully on July 9. 

The reported bombings follow Thursday’s attack on a U.N. convoy escorting Sudan Armed Forces that were part of a Joint Integrated Unit. A U.N. statement said the confrontation took place in an area controlled by southern police and condemned the attack. The U.N. is currently investigating who is behind the attack and how many people were killed. The Sudan Army claimed the attack was an ambush by the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army that killed 22 Sudan Army soldiers. The SPLA has denied responsibility.

“Given rising tensions on both sides of Sudan’s North-South border, there is a worrying possibility of escalating violence spreading across the region,” said John Bradshaw, Enough Project Executive Director. “We’ve seen this pattern before in Sudan. The identities and affiliations of the alleged assailants have not been confirmed, but there is an urgent need to break this cycle of violence before it worsens and widens. All parties should stand down and refrain from using reports of violence as a pretext for bombardment or forward deployment of forces.”

The Enough Project is part of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, the Enough Project focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, and areas of Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises.