*EPF505 06/08/01
Text: U.S. Outraged at Bombing of Civilians in Sudan
(U.S. Coordinator for Sudan A. Natsios speaks out) (410)

Special U.S. Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Andrew Natsios expressed outrage June 7 over the Government of Sudan's recent aerial bombardment of civilians gathered to receive a U.N. air drop of food in the Bahr el Ghazal region of southern Sudan.

Natsios, who is also administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the bombing put at risk both civilians in desperate need of food and the local and international humanitarian workers who had come to assist them.

Additionally, he called the bombing a "violation of GOS (Government of Sudan) commitments under the U.N. Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) tripartite agreement."

Following is the Natsios text:

(begin text)

Statement by USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios on Government of Sudan Bombing of Food Distribution Site

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
STATEMENT

WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-4320
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2001
Contact: USAID Press Office
CORRECTED VERSION

As the Special Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, I am outraged over the Government of Sudan's (GOS) aerial bombardment yesterday of a U.N. World Food Program (WFP) food distribution to civilians in the Bahr el Ghazal region of southern Sudan. The GOS plane dropped bombs at the same time as a U.N. WFP plane was undertaking a food drop, targeting the civilian population that had gathered to receive the food. The GOS had been informed of the flight by the U.N. and had cleared it. The U.S. Government has donated the majority of food aid currently being air dropped by WFP in southern Sudan.

This action by the GOS puts at risk not only desperately food needy civilians but also the local and international humanitarian workers who have come to assist them. Furthermore, the bombing is in violation of GOS commitments under the U.N. Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) tripartite agreement. It also violates its publicly stated commitment to end its bombing in southern Sudan and the Nuba Mountains as of May 25, 2001. In the last few days, the GOS has bombed three other locations in Bahr el Ghazal.

I am deeply concerned about the escalation of conflict by GOS and Southern People's Liberation Army forces in the Bahr el Ghazal region and urge restraint from both sides in consideration of the large and very vulnerable civilian population in Wau, Aweil and the surrounding areas.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov/)
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