Sudan 'kills 105' in Darfur rebel town

Darfur rebel figure Suleiman Jamous said 105 people were killed in the former rebel town of Haskanita after an attack on African…

Darfur rebel figure Suleiman Jamous said 105 people were killed in the former rebel town of Haskanita after an attack on African Union peacekeepers there.

Jamous, a respected humanitarian coordinator for the Sudan Liberation Army, said the government and allied militia had badly damaged Haskanita in southeast Darfur over a number of days.

The United Nations said the town had been burnt, with just the Mosque and school left standing. Most of its 7,000 population had fled.

The AU base near Haskanita was attacked and destroyed on September 29th. At least 10 soldiers were killed. The AU asked the government to secure the area while they withdrew, leaving no international observers in the region beset with clashes between the army and rebels.

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Sudan's army said a fire, the cause of which was unclear, started in the market and spread to the rest of the town.

Rebels and government blame each other for the attack on the AU base. Initially almost 60 peacekeepers went missing. All but one have been found.