Sudan raiders 'massacred 100'

2006-05-26 09:49

London - Sudanese cross-border raiders have massacred more than 100 villagers in Chad, according to a statement from Human Rights Watch (HRW), which expressed concern that Darfur's violence was spreading even further in the region.

Survivors said that those who carried out the massacres last month were Janjaweed ethnic Arab militia the Sudanese government was accused of unleashing on ethnic African villages, where Darfur rebels might find support.

The Sudanese government denied backing the Janjaweed, but agreed to rein them in under a May 05 peace agreement. Violence, though, had only increased since the government and the main rebel movement signed the accord.

Darfur war destabilses region

Peter Takirambudde of the HRW said: "Sudanese militiamen are moving further and further into Chad and are looting and killing Chadian villagers."

The Darfur war had destabilised the region, where Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic meet. Some 200 000 Darfur refugees had sought shelter in Chad.

Chadian rebels had their bases along the border and Chad's government accused Sudan of backing them, while Sudan accused Chad of backing Darfur rebels.

There were also reports that opponents of the Central African Republic's government were gathering in the border area in preparation for an attack on their government.

Janjaweed, Chadian rebels not natural allies

The massacre decried by the HRW came on April 12-13, after Chadian security was preoccupied with an abortive attack by Chadian rebels on Chad's capital, which might explain why news of the villagers' death went unnoticed at the time.

It was unclear whether the events were linked. The Janjaweed and the Chadian rebels were not natural allies.

HRW, quoting witnesses, said 118 people were killed in four neighbouring villages. According to the group, survivors said attackers surrounded and later shot or hacked to death unarmed villagers.

Chadian officials 'have no immediate comment'

The UN refugee agency had reported cross-border attacks on Darfur refugee camps in Chad as well as on nearby Chadian villages.

Leslie Lefkow of the HRW said that attackers struck far from the camps in the April massacre, "in an area, where there's almost no international presence (and) very little government presence". Chadian officials had no immediate comment.

Lefkow said: "There's a great deal we don't know about what's going on in this area", saying attacks like the massacre might be more common than the outside world realises.

She said HRW researchers learned of the massacres weeks later during a rare visit to the southern border area.

Lefkow said the "shocking" April toll could mean the attacks were intended to spread fear, perhaps in retaliation for an earlier cattle raid.

- AP