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Bombing

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Source: Waging Peace Darfuri Children's Drawings. Homes being bombed by Sudan's military fixed wing airplanes.

In order to annihilate non-Arab communities, the government of Sudan utilized aerial bombardment of the villages, as this was a more efficient and effective way to destroy a large area in the shortest time possible. Helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes were used in the attacks, which proved that the government of Sudan was responsible, as none of the rebel groups had helicopter gunships or airplanes.

After the planes bombed and destroyed homes in the villages, members of these non-Arab communities had nowhere to hide--neither did they have the ability to resist attacks by Sudan's governmental ground forces or the Janjaweed militia. This made it easier for the government forces and the Janjaweed to come in and kill people by the thousands.

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Source: Waging Peace Darfuri Children's Drawings. Helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes bombing villages.

Sudan's army also attacked the villages with rocket-propelled grenades and high-caliber machine guns mounted on trucks and armored vehicles. These vehicles made the army very mobile and thus able to effectively attack fleeing civilians.

Peacekeepers who were sent to the Darfur region also ended up being targets. From time to time, these peacekeepers were ambushed when escorting convoys of food supplies to refugee camps. There were times when these peacekeepers' armored vehicles were completely destroyed during the attacks and some of the peacekeepers lost their lives.