§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
What reports of civilian casualties from government air raids in southern Sudan they have received in the first six months of 2002; and what response they have made. [HL4990]
§ Baroness AmosThere have been many reports of government air raids in southern Sudan in the first six months of this year. In most cases it has not been possible to verify the details of the number of civilian casualties. We have urged the Sudanese Government not to carry out such raids and to respect their agreement with the SPLA to refrain from attacks against civilian targets. We expect an international verification mechanism to be set up soon to confirm compliance.