CAIRO — Despite a recent pledge, Sudan sent its
Arab militia against civilians in the Darfour province, rebel and UN sources said.
Sudanese rebel sources said the Janjaweed militia conducted ground
strikes in western Darfour near the border with Chad. The sources said
Janjaweed has targeted civilians, particularly children, as part of the
ongong Sudanese military offensive.
The African Union and United Nations have confirmed the military
campaign and the targeting of children. UN officials urged Khartoum to
protect civilians.
So far, at least 70 people have been killed in the latest military campaign by
the Khartoum regime, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said half of the casualties were children.
"The government have begun mobilizing the Janjaweed widely, especially
in West Darfour, because they want to clear the area and move north along
the border and defeat us," Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, a leader of the National
Redemption Front, said.
Western monitors said the Sudanese Air Force has also been deployed in
the offensive in Darfour. They said the air force was bombing villages along
the border with Chad.
Khartoum has pledged to dismantle Janjaweed, an estimated force of
10,000. The regime also said it would honor a UN Security Council resolution
that banned bombing raids in Darfour.