Ryan Boyette and the New Sudans (UPDATE ON NEW BOMBING)

Ryan Boyette sent me word over the weekend that he was returning to Sudan. Today, I received this tragic email from him updating the situation on the ground at the refugee camp. Please share with others. Below this message is background information:

Update from Southern Kordofan, Sudan
November 10, 2011

On November 10, 2011 at 1:30pm a large UN Helicopter landed in Yida Refugee Camp in Unity State, South Sudan, to deliver food to the camp for the first time since the camp was started.  After unloading the food, The UN Helicopter took off at about 2:40pm and another UN personnel aircraft landed at the Yida Airstrip 5 minutes later.  Immediately at 2:55pm local time, the Sudan Armed Forces bombed the Yida refugee camp.  A single Antonov plane made two strafes on the refugee camp.  On the first strafe the plane dropped 2 large bombs that landed just on the northern outskirts of the camp.  On the second strafe the plane dropped an addition 2 bombs on the camp.  The last bomb landed in the middle of the camp school yard but did not explode.  The primary school was in session with over 300 students in the school yard.  If the bomb had exploded it would have killed and wounded many children.  No one was injured or killed by the bombings.

Ryan Boyette


 This blog will be updated as new stories appear. For now, here are the main aspects of the story.

My two-part interview with Ryan at Patheos. 

Nicholas Kristof’s original article in Sunday’s New York Times.

Kristof’s blog post with additional photos and details on Ryan and Sudan. The comments section is worth reading as well.

The home page for the Satellite Sentinel Project

Story on Ryan’s testimony before Congressional Human Rights Committee.

You Tube video from Sudan detailing a specific human rights concern.

Report on the award-winning blend of technology and on the ground reporting used by Ryan and the Satellite Sentinel Project.

Evidence of Abductions and Killings by Sudanese Government Forces

Frederick Clarkson's background articles on Sudan for Religion Dispatches