From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: SUDAN: U.S. 'strongly condemns' execution of U.S. employee
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 01:45:48 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Europe, western
Reference: Africa, north
Title: SUDAN: U.S. 'strongly condemns' execution of U.S. employee


washington, sep 22 (ips) -- the u.s. state department says it
''strongly condemns'' the sudanese government for the execution on
a charge of treason of a sudanese citizen who worked for the u.s.
agency for international development (usaid) in the southern city
of juba.

spokesperson joe snyder said tuesday washington had also gained
reliable information that a second usaid employee had been
executed and that employees of the united nations and other
international agencies active in juba are apparently missing.

he added that ''several credible sources indicate widespread
killing and abuse of the civilian population in juba by the army
and militia of the government of sudan''.

the reports coincide with other grim accounts of the situation
in the government-held city which is besieged by rebel forces of
the sudanese peoples liberation army (spla).

earlier this month, the united nations announced that more than
a million people had been forced to flee their homes in southern
sudan during a recent offensive by the sudanese army into spla-
held territory.

u.s./sudanese relations have worsened steadily since a 1989
military coup d'etat which brought to power a military junta
headed by gen. omar hassan ahmad al-bashir.

last january, washington accused khartoum of harbouring arab
terrorist groups and islamic militants from neighbouring countries
and expressed concern over sudanese/iranian ties following the
high-profile visit of iran's president ali hashemi rafsanjani to
khartoum.

since then, washington has charged al-bashir with carrying out
massive violations of human rights against non-muslim minorities.

just last week, u.s. officials told reporters they agreed with
a recent report by the new york-based 'africa watch' human rights
group about a large-scale relocation campaign being carried out by
the army and associated militias against the nuba population in
the central part of the country.

the situation in the south has also reportedly deteriorated
significantly since the army, reportedly backed by an infusion of
arms from iran and china, began its march southwards against the
spla. (more/ips)

sudan: u.s. 'strongly condemns' execution of u.s. employee(2-e)

sudan: u.s. (2)

while it made unprecedented progress in retaking key towns in
the region, the army also resorted to a systematic policy of
depopulating the area, according to africa watch and other
published accounts.

the result, say some u.n. officials, could be a major famine
throughout the region and new pressure on adjoining countries
which are already finding it difficult to cope with drought and
continued warfare in somalia.

the situation in juba, where the executions reportedly took
place, is regarded as desperate by officials here and at the
united nations. despite its advance, the army has been unable to
break the siege which reportedly intensified last month.

last wednesday, jan eliasson, the u.n. official in charge of
disaster relief, flew into the town for a six-hour visit. he said
the people were ''in great need of food, medicines, drugs,
dressings and shelter''. he noted that several hundred thousand
people there were stranded without shelter.

rebel shelling of the town has made it impossible for u.n.
relief planes to use the airport effectively, and the government
has rejected rebel proposals that relief planes fly in at a
specified time of day so the spla can distinguish them from
military aircraft.

the government expelled all foreign relief workers and
missionaries from the town in mid-august, so firsthand reporting
about the situation has been made much more difficult.

snyder said thursday that usaid employee andrew tombe was
accused of working secretly with the spla, but that washington had
''no information whatsoever'' to support the charge.

he said tombe was a white-collar worker for usaid and that
khartoum told washington he was ''tried and convicted of treason
by a military tribunal''.

''if such a trial took place, it would have been held in secret
and would have been a clear violation of international legal
standards pertaining to his detention and alleged trial,'' snyder
said.

he said less was known about what happened to the second
employee, baudouin tally, whom he noted was also a white-collar
worker there.

''we demand that the sudanese government immediately provide a
full accounting of mr. tombe's detention, trial and exeuction, and
also provide information on the whereabouts and condition of mr.
tally.

''we further call on the sudanese government to allow an
immediate inspection of the condition of the civilian population
in juba by the international committee of the red cross, including
access to those being held in detention,'' he said.
(end/ips/ip/jl/yjc/92)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african