Sudan rebels allege air strikes ahead of peace talks

Sudan's air force carried out air strikes that wounded civilians in South Kordofan on Thursday, rebels said ahead of peace talks next week. "They bombed one of the villages there," Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), told AFP. He was referring to the El Debkar area about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of the state capital Kadugli. Four people were wounded, he said. Sudan's army spokesman could not be reached. On Wednesday the army spokesman said his forces had "liberated" the Dandor garrison about 18 kilometres (11 miles) east of Kadugli. "After a long battle in Dandor our forces withdrew" on Wednesday afternoon, Lodi said. "The government is now there." Rebels said they seized the base on Monday. International human rights groups have accused the Sudanese military of "indiscriminate" aerial attacks, while the government says rebel shelling of Kadugli has killed civilians. Both the government and SPLM-N said on Wednesday they are ready to hold peace talks on April 23 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The war has lasted nearly two years and affected more than one million people.