Sudan denies militia raid 'lies'

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Sudan has dismissed as "lies" a UN report that it backed militia raids in Darfur, in which some 60 people died.

"These reports... contain huge amounts of lies, manipulation and lack of credibility," said foreign ministry spokesman Ali Sadeq.

At least 27 of the victims are thought to be children under the age of 12.

Darfur resident Mariam Abakr Yehya told the BBC that her three-year-old boy, Adam, was shot dead with a machine-gun in front of her eyes.

The villagers all told a similar story.

They said: 'We are the Sudanese government, we've been set by President Omar al-Bashir Darfur resident Armed men in new military uniforms on horse- and camel-back, killing indiscriminately and looting everything in their path.

The government says it is disarming the Janjaweed militia, but a BBC correspondent in Sudan says all the evidence points to the exact opposite.

The attacks were on camps for the displaced in the rebel stronghold of Jebel Moon, in West Darfur.

Joint offensive

Another man told the BBC's Jonah Fisher: "They came in and were shooting at us."

"They said: 'We are the Sudanese government, we've been set by President Omar al-Bashir.'"

There are several army bases within 15km of the villages.

Our correspondent says they did nothing to protect civilians from attack.

African Union peacekeepers say it is very clear that government and militia are working hand in hand.

A joint offensive appears to be underway to clear villages near rebel areas, our correspondent says.

"At the very least, the attacks demonstrated the government of Sudan's continued failure to disarm militia in Darfur, and at worst its use of militia forces that target civilian populations," said the UN last week.

The area is a stronghold of the National Redemption Front (NRF) alliance, one of the Darfur rebel group which refused to sign up to a peace deal in May.

Sudan's government has always denied backing militia.

It says the Janjaweed are bandits outside their control.

Some 200,000 people have died in Darfur, with the Arab Janjaweed accused of ethnic cleansing against black Africans.

Sudan's government says the scale of the problems has been exaggerated and resists plans for the United Nations to take over the peacekeeping force from the AU.