Thousands Flees as Army, Rebels Clash in Darfur

Thousands of people are fleeing their homes following more than a week of heavy clashes between the Sudanese army forces and rebels in Darfur, aid workers in Darfur have reported. According to the aid sources, some entire villages have been deserted by residents seeking shelter in nearby mountains and open lands, as various Darfur rebel groups accused the army of launching a series of heavy ground and air attacks on their strongholds in North Darfur since last week. The fighting complicates the Darfur crisis, coming at a time when Khartoum is defying an attempt by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to indict President Omar al-Bashir for genocide in the troubled region.[PE]