Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on West Darfur

On Friday, 8 February, the towns of Abu Suruj, Sirba, and Seleia, all located north of the state capital in West Darfur suffered attacks, reportedly from Janjaweed militia supported by Sudanese armed forces. UNAMID has received preliminary reports confirming that an estimated 200 casualties have resulted from the fighting, and that the town of Abu Suruj, which is home to thousands of civilians, has been burned to the ground. The attack in Seleia is reported to have included air strikes from Government forces.

The Secretary-General condemns these attacks on civilian towns in the strongest possible terms and stresses that all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law, which prohibits military attacks against civilians. All parties must urgently cease hostilities, and commit to the political process being led by the Special Envoys of the United Nations and African Union.