Sudanese forces and allied militia have killed several hundred civilians in ground attacks and aerial bombardments on villages in Darfur in the past six months, United Nations human rights experts said today.
Bystanders caught up in clashes between the warring parties have also been tortured, raped and suffered widespread looting in the western region, according to the UN experts on Darfur.
Their 106-page report calls on the Khartoum government to protect civilians in Darfur and investigate all crimes. It is to be presented next week to the UN Human Rights Council.
"According to United Nations sources, from June 20th to mid-November 2007, at least 15 land and air attacks were made on civilian centres in all three Darfur states by the forces of the government, affiliated militia and the Minni Minawi faction of the Sudanese Liberation Army," the report said.
A Reuters tally of casualty figures contained in the report indicated that at least 300 people were killed in about 20 land and air attacks documented by the UN in the past six months.
UN officials pointed out they had been unable to document all the incidents due to restrictions on movement, logistical constraints and insecurity in Darfur.
"The information in the group of experts' report was meant to be illustrative only and not to provide a comprehensive picture of violations," Lyal Sunga, the Geneva-based coordinator of the UN experts' group, said.