/ 4 August 1999

SUDAN USED POISON IN AIR RAIDS

SUDAN’S government late last month used poisonous chemicals in air raids against rebels in the south, leading to stillbirths and sickness among local people, a Norwegian aid agency said on Tuesday. Claudio Feo of Norsk Folkehjelp said a scientific team had collected witness reports and hard evidence of the use of toxic chemicals in bombing of the towns of Laina and Kaaya during raids between July 21 and 23. No fatalities had been reported after the raids, but doctors from his own NGO sent to the area reported stillbirths among women and several cases of people vomiting blood, he said. More detailed medical tests and analysis of soil samples still need to be carried out to find out exactly what chemicals were involved.