Gunmen Kill 11, Wound 4 in Attacks in Sudan’s Darfur

11/19/09 | Bloomberg

Unidentified gunmen, many riding on camels, killed 11 people in attacks on two villages in Sudan’s Darfur region, the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping mission said today.

More than 300 gunmen took part in the attack in the state of South Darfur, the mission said in an e-mailed statement.

“The cause of the clashes is unconfirmed, although access to water seemed to be the trigger,” the statement said.

Analysts including Jeffery Sachs, a development economist at New York’s Columbia University, have blamed world powers and the UN for focusing mainly on political and military solutions for the crisis in Darfur, while neglecting other root causes such as scarce natural resources.

Clashes between pro-government forces and rebels -- along with tribal fighting, banditry and disease -- have killed about 300,000 people since 2003, the UN says. The mostly African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated government, accusing it of neglecting the region. The government puts the violence-related death toll at about 10,000.

Four people were also wounded in the attacks on the villages of Taman and Shaleb Shaleb on Nov. 17, the peacekeeping mission said. Two other people were still missing, it added.