Sudan Refugee Exodus Reported
Government bombing of rebel-controlled areas in southern Sudan has created an exodus of 100,000 people, many fleeing to nearby Uganda and Zaire, a church group reported.
The New Sudan Council of Churches said the government began the bombing on July 26 and escalated it in early August. It forced more than 30,000 people to flee to Uganda. Another 70,000 sought refuge in Zaire or elsewhere in southern Sudan.
The council, composed of Christian churches in Sudan’s rebel-controlled south, urged the United Nations to stop the bombing, to bring about a cease-fire and to set up safe areas and “no-fly” zones so that relief can be delivered.
The statement was dated Aug. 9 and delivered to news agencies Monday.
The Sudan People’s Liberation Army took up arms against Sudan’s Muslim-dominated government in 1983, seeking greater autonomy and economic development for the predominantly Christian and animist south.
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