Militias attack Darfuris refusing census, kill 5

By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Former Darfur rebels accused government militia fighters on Thursday of killing five Darfuris after they refused to take part in Sudan's census.

The census, the first in Africa's biggest country since 1993, is seen as a vital step towards holding the first democratic elections in 23 years in 2009 and for deciding how to share power and oil wealth.

Many in Darfur, where fighting has raged for five years, reject the count because they distrust the Khartoum government.

A spokesman for Minni Arcua Minnawi, a former rebel who is now a presidential assistant, said people in camps around Shereia in South Darfur had refused to register when census officials came to take a count on Wednesday.

"Because of that the Sudan army sent militias to attack those people," said Mohamed Dirbeen, the military spokesman of Minnawi.

It was not possible to independently verify the reports.

Sudan's army said it had no links to any militias attacking Minnawi's forces in South Darfur. A spokesman blamed any violence on continued clashes between Minnawi and a breakaway rebel faction.

The head of the census monitoring commission, Abdel Bagi Gailani, told Reuters there were difficulties in Shereia.  Continued...