W. Sudan rebel attack leaves Darfur village in flames, some dead : governor

May 24th, 2004.

By MOHAMED OSMAN, Associated Press Writer

KHARTOUM, Sudan, May 24, 2004 (AP) -- Rebels torched a village in western Sudan and killed a number of villagers, the governor of South Darfur province said Monday.

The governor, Lt. Gen. Adam Hamid Mussa, said he could not confirm how many people were killed in Saturday's attack on Abga Rajil village, 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the provincial capital of Nyala, but he called reports of more than 50 dead "exaggerated." Police and security forces were still assessing the damage on Monday.

"The outlaws attacked this area, looting and burning down the village, and when our forces arrived to the area they were already gone," Mussa told The Associated Press by telephone from Nyala.

Mussa also said "outlaws" continue to violate last month's cease-fire agreement, maintaining that on May 18 rebels also attacked Labarwa village, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Nyala and kidnapped 28 civilians.

Most rebel attacks and violations, he said, are along roads from Nyala to other key provincial towns, particularly Dayein and Buram to the south. "The outlaws in high-speed cars will attack an area, and when we arrive they are gone," Mussa said.

On Sunday, the governor of West Darfur state, Yusuf Kibir, said there had been 26 rebel violations of the cease-fire in his region since it was reached in April.

Thousands of people in Darfur are believed to have died since early 2003 when rebels began fighting for autonomy and greater state aid. The conflict has also displaced about 900,000 refugees in Darfur's three states, and another 100,000 have fled into neighboring Chad.

Last week, Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir visited the region and urged citizens to return home, promising that calm had returned and denying claims of ethnic cleansing. The United States and aid agencies have accused the Sudanese government of supporting Arab militiamen waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against African tribes.

El-Bashir, meanwhile, was planning to fly to Ethiopia on Tuesday to take part in the African Union's launch of a Peace and Security council. El- Bashir would brief the council on the origins of the Darfur conflict as well as his government's efforts to restore security and stability and to promote development, state-run Omduraman radio reported.

Fourteen heads of state were expected to participate in the review of African conflicts, with emphasis on Somalia, Liberia and Sudan.