US condemns bomb attacks

The US on Wednesday condemned the Lui and Yirol attacks, as well as the recently intensified bombing of relief sites, hospital facilities, schools and civilian population centres in the Nuba Mountains, Western Equatoria and Bahr el Ghazal. “The bombing in Bahr el Ghazal contravenes the Sudanese government’s own ceasefire agreement on the province,” Department of State spokesman James Rubin said in a press statement. The fact the Sudanese government continued these “vicious attacks” during and immediately after the first mission to the country by US Special Envoy for Sudan Harry Johnston “calls into question the sincerity of the government’s professed desire to improve relations with the US and to redress the grave human rights abuses in Sudan,” Rubin said. “Calling these attacks ‘a mistake’ is neither credible nor sufficient. These bombings must stop.” Johnston said on Monday he had achieved “a breakthrough in dialogue” with Khartoum.