KHARTOUM, Sudan – Air strikes in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region killed one civilian and prompted villagers to flee their homes, the joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force (UNAMID) said on Wednesday.
A UNAMID patrol sent to investigate reports of air strikes around the village of Abu Hamara, in South Darfur, confirmed that at least one civilian was killed and two were wounded in the attacks, which took place about two weeks ago, the mission said.
A number of villagers were reported to have fled their homes in the aftermath of the strikes.
A UNAMID spokeswoman declined to say who carried out the attacks, but the Sudanese army is widely considered the only force in the region capable of doing so. Army sources were not immediately available for comment.
Following a relative lull in the eight-year conflict, there have been sporadic clashes since late last year between rebel groups and government forces, that have forced more than 70,000 people to flee their homes.
At least 300,000 people have been killed and 1.9 million people have fled their homes since the Darfur conflict erupted in 2003 between non-Arab rebels and the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime, the United Nations says.
The government puts the death toll at 10,000 and blames the ongoing lack of security on tribal conflict, minority armed forces and banditry.
