mass grave in Sudan they say includes "fields littered with human remains, many of them from young children."
The Christian organization Voice of the Martyrs as well as Servant’s Heart and Freedom Quest International made their appeal after human rights investigators apparently discovered that these remains were those of victims of an unprovoked attack.
They said the violence was directed against the "unarmed civilian villages of Liang, Dengaji, Kawaji and Yawaji in late April 2002."
It is estimated that between one third or perhaps even half "of the original 6,000 civilians living in the region were killed in the attack," the well informed organizations said in a statement obtained by BosNewsLife Thursday February 13.
ATTACKERS
"The attackers were reported by the survivors to be the Sudan regular army from the Boing Garrison, commanded by Brigadier General Ibrahim Saleh," the Center for Religious Freedom reported.
"Striking in the early morning while the villagers slept, the heavily armed Government of Sudan (GOS) soldiers began killing the unarmed residents and burning their houses."
The attackers were reportedly "armed with 60 mm mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, 12.7 mm heavy machine guns and AK-47 assault rifles," the Center added, referring to documented eyewitness accounts.
HORROR
"In a videotaped interview, Tunya Jok described his horror as he witnessed his 4-year-old daughter shot and killed as she fled from the GOS soldiers," the center said. "Then, his 6-year-old son was captured and beheaded by the soldiers. His body was thrown into a burning hut and his head planted upright, facing away from the hut."
Voice of the Martyrs, Servant’s Heart and Freedom Quest International called for an investigation by the "monitoring team assigned to report on violations of the March 2002 agreement" that ended a civil war between the Sudan Government and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement.
"Among other things, both sides agreed not to attack civilian targets," the organizations said. "We also call on the United States Department to include this incident in their Sudan Peace Act-mandated report to Congress on atrocities and war criminals in southern Sudan."
Human rights organizations have also complained about wide spread persecution of Christians and slavery in Sudan, Africa’s largest country with a population of over 33 million people.
