Sudan's Aerial Bombing Aims at Churches in Nuba Mountains

Religion Today | Published: Mar 30, 2012

Sudan's Aerial Bombing Aims at Churches in Nuba Mountains

March 31, 2012

After Khartoum denied that it had bombed civilians earlier this month, Sudanese aerial strikes last week were aimed at church buildings and schools in Kauda, South Kordofan state, Compass Direct News reports. Planes dropped bombs on March 22 and 23, destroying some houses and cattle near the church buildings and schools but causing no casualties. Humanitarian agencies consider the Islamic government's targeting of civilians in the Nuba Mountains -- which has a large Christian population -- an "ethnic cleansing" against non-Arab people in the multi-ethnic state, with the added incentive of ridding the area of Christians, a humanitarian aid worker said. Churches in the Nuba Mountains are holding worship services early in the mornings and late in the evenings to avoid aerial bombardments; most of the bombings take place during daytime when visibility is better for pilots. Khartoum continues to actively recruit more security personnel and send them to South Kordofan to help kill or arrest Nuba civilians, including Christians.

Sudan's Aerial Bombing Aims at Churches in Nuba Mountains