October 31, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — South Kordofan rebels reported that Sudanese warplanes bombed several villages in the Nuba Mountains area on Tuesday, during the whole day.

SPLM-N spokesman Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, said in a statement emailed to Sudan Tribune that four Mig and two Antonov bombarded the villages of Um Sardabah, Karkarrai, Tanguel and Al-Atmoor in the Nuba Mountains.

He pointed out that the aerial bombing, which started at 08.00am and continued till 03.00pm (local time), injured a child, killed nine heads of cattle and destroyed the crops of local residents.

The rebels shelled recently the state capital, Kadugli, arguing their mortar attacks are in retaliation to the aerial bombing regularly carried out by the Sudanese army.

Arnu condemned the raids against unarmed citizens stressing that it aims to "thwart any possibility of self-reliance and to obstruct international efforts to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering experienced by civilians in the region."

Sudanese government and rebels failed to agree on the modalities allowing to implement a tripartite plan to reach the needy in the rebel held areas.

In a recent report, UN agencies estimated that 520,000 people have been displaced or severely affected by conflict in South Kordofan besides some 205,000 refugees from South Kordofan and Blue Nile who are now in South Sudan and Ethiopia.

(ST)