VOA常速英语2007-Sudan Military Accused of Killing Civilian Rebel

By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
08 October 2007

A respected figure in the Darfur rebellion has accused the Sudanese military of killing¹ more than 100 people in the town of Haskanita, where 10 African Union peacekeeping personnel were killed last week during an attack on their base. As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi, the accusation² is yet another blow to international efforts to initiate³ peace talks later this month between the government in Khartoum and Darfur's rebels.

The humanitarian⁴ coordinator⁵ for the rebel Sudan Liberation Army, Suleiman Jamous, says the civilians⁶ in Haskanita were killed by government troops and their ally, the Janjaweed militia⁷, during a days-long rampage that destroyed the town.

Weeks prior to the September 29 attack on a nearby African Union military base, Sudanese troops and Darfur rebels fought several battles in and around the area of Haskanita.

Jamous says he believes the Sudanese army, which blames rebels for the attack on the African Union peacekeepers, launched an offensive in Haskanita to pursue people the army believes had been aiding or supporting the rebels.

On Saturday, a joint⁸ United Nations-African Union mission reported the remote southeastern settlement had been largely burned to the ground in recent days. The mission did not say who set fire to Haskanita, but it noted⁹ that the town was under government control.

The United Nations estimates that more than seven-thousand residents of Haskanita and several thousand more from the surrounding area have fled into the bush and are now in need of food, water, and shelter.

U.N. spokeswoman Radhia Achouri tells VOA that the mission does not have the authority to lead an investigation¹⁰ of the incident.

"Investigation of security incidents of that nature is the portfolio¹¹ of the Ceasefire Commission that is headed by the African Union mission in Darfur. It is not part of what we do," she said.

In a telephone interview with VOA, the leader of a splinter group from the rebel Justice and Equality Movement, Bahr Idrees Abugarda, says his group had nothing to do with the attack on the African Union base, which sparked this latest political and humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

He says what happened in Haskanita since the attack is the responsibility of the government in Khartoum.

"The government burned houses and killed people and looted many properties from the people of Haskanita. Some of the properties of the African Union are found in the markets in government-controlled areas, he said.

The Sudanese government has not yet commented on the rebel accusations¹².

The violence in Haskanita comes amid growing rebel opposition¹³ to the planned October 27 peace talks in Libya. In recent days, key leaders of both the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement have said they would boycott¹⁴ the U.N.-A.U. mediated¹⁵ talks unless their demands are implemented¹⁶ before the start of the peace process.

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

3 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

4 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

5 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

8 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。

12 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

14 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

15 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

16 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句