Bombings violated 2005 peace deal

JUBA (AP):

Three bomb attacks in Southern Sudan this month, made by aircraft from the northern Sudanese military, violated Sudan's 2005 peace agreement, a joint north-south committee has concluded, a United Nations (UN) spokesman said yesterday.

A committee with representatives from the United Nations mission in Sudan and the northern and southern Sudanese militaries found that the bombings violated the agreement that ended more than 20 years of civil war, said UN spokesman Kouider Zerrouk.

The bombings in western Bahr el Ghazal state happened December 6, 8 and 9. No casualties were reported, but they follow multiple bombing runs by the north in November in a disputed region on the border between neighbouring northern Bahr el Ghazal state and southern Darfur state.

The members of the committee did not characterise the November bombings as a violation of the peace agreement, but both the northern and southern militaries agreed that those incidents were "unfortunate and should not be repeated".

The bombings come less than a month before Southern Sudan is scheduled to hold a January 9 independence referendum that is likely to see Africa's largest country split in two. The 2005 peace accord gives the south the right to vote.