Darfur town under Sudan’s control is reported razed

A Darfur town under the control of Sudanese troops has been razed, the United Nations said Sunday. The destruction was in apparent retaliation for a suspected rebel attack on a nearby African Union peacekeeping base.

The town of Haskanita, “which is currently under the control of the government, was completely burned down, except for a few buildings,” the U.N. mission to Sudan said in a statement.

The U.N. did not say who set fire to the town but said Sudanese government forces took control of the area last week after suspected Darfur rebels attacked the nearby African Union base a week ago, killing 10 peacekeepers.

United Nations officials said the burning began Wednesday but that observers were unable to obtain firsthand confirmation until Sunday.

“The market area had been looted,” the U.N. statement said. It said most civilians fled after the Sept. 29 attack on the base but that a few returned to search for food and water.

A U.N. official who had just inspected the North Darfur town said Sunday that 15,000 civilians were fleeing the area.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the town was destroyed by the Sudanese army and militias of nomad Arabs known as janjaweed that are believed to be backed by the government.

The official said a full army battalion of 800 troops was stationed at the entrance of the smoldering town, which was otherwise empty.

“There’s absolutely no doubt the army and janjaweed did it,” the official said.

An Associated Press reporter saw Haskanita intact last weekend, as the army was taking control after the suspected rebel attack, although several villages nearby were smoldering at the time. It was unclear whether anyone was killed or injured in the destruction of Haskanita.

Several international observers, including aid workers and U.N. officials, disputed claims by rebel chiefs that 100 civilians had been killed in the destruction of Haskanita.

The Sudanese military had no immediate comment.

The African Union said it could not comment because it had evacuated the area around Haskanita last Sunday.