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Gunmen 'kill 20 Darfur civilians' Civilians killed in Darfur attack
(about 5 hours later)
At least 20 civilians have been killed in an attack in the Darfur region of western Sudan, the African Union (AU) and United Nations say. About 30 civilians have been killed in an attack by gunmen on a convoy carrying medical and relief supplies in the Darfur region of western Sudan.
A foreign aid worker quoted by AP news agency said pro-government Janjaweed militiamen had attacked a refugee convoy with rocket-propelled grenades. "Some people were shot, others were burned to death," said United Nations spokeswoman Radhia Achouri.
He added that they had then set fire to the bodies. The attack appears to be the work of the pro-government Janjaweed militia, the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Sudan says.
News of the attack came on the Global Day for Darfur, called to protest at the situation in the region. About 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government.
At least 200,000 people have died there in the past three years. An estimated two million people, mostly black Africans whose villages have been attacked by the Arab Janjaweed militia, have fled their homes. Since then, an estimated two million people, mostly black Africans whose villages have been attacked by the Arab Janjaweed, have fled their homes.
The Sudanese government denies accusations it is backing the militias to put down an uprising launched by Darfur's rebel groups in 2003. The Sudanese government has rejected a UN Security Council resolution authorising the deployment of UN troops and police to Darfur.
A small force of 7,000 African Union peacekeepers has struggled to protect civilians in the absence of a UN contingent. A small force of 7,000 African Union (AU) peacekeepers has struggled to protect civilians in the absence of a UN contingent.
'Under threat' Our correspondent says that in the last few months, the Janjaweed have been mobilised along the border with Chad, destroying villages considered loyal to rebel movements.
Noureddine Mezni, AU spokesman in Sudan, said that in this latest attack, gunmen had attacked a vehicle near the village of Sirba, close to the border with Chad. The Sudanese government denies accusations that it is backing the militias to put down the uprising.
He said the AU had sent an investigation unit to Sirba, and angry villagers had later attempted to prevent the team from leaving. 'Rebels to blame'
"The African Union is under threat by the local population in Sirba. There are efforts now to allow the team to leave the area," he told Reuters news agency. Saturday's attack on the convoy took place near Sirba, close to the Sudan-Chad border.
"We appeal to everybody to know that the AU is in Darfur to help the people and restore stability and reach peace. We are not in Darfur to be part of the conflict." The UN and the AU did not identify who was behind it.
Armed men riding on horses and camels attacked Sirba in November, killing up to 30 villagers and wounding 40. An international aid worker told the Associated Press news agency that Janjaweed members attacked the convoy with rocket-propelled grenades, then killed survivors.
The governor of West Darfur said the attack was carried out by rebel groups who refused to sign the May peace agreement reached between Khartoum and the main faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement.
"The raid was perpetrated by the rebels from the National Redemption Front, who are committed to a military escalation," Mohammed Yusef al-Tulib was quoted as saying by the state-run Suna news agency.
The AU, which dispatched an investigation unit to Sirba, said its team was able to leave the area after angry villagers initially prevented them from departing.
Local residents insisted that the AU team should take pictures of the bodies, and stopped them from flying out by helicopter until they did so.
The attack came as a coalition of human rights groups held a day of protests around the world against sexual violence in Darfur, where they say thousands of women and girls have been raped by forces that support the Sudanese government.
US envoy Andrew Natsios is currently in Sudan, attempting to persuade Khartoum to accept a joint AU-UN peacekeeping force for Darfur.