Darfur camel ambush 'kills six'

The Janjaweed are accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans in Darfur

Six people have been killed and 28 wounded after men on camels attacked a civilian convoy in the Sudanese region of Darfur, the UN has said.

The convoy was travelling between Nyala and Fasher in northern Darfur, according to Unamid, a joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission.

It said the attackers were suspected members of the Janjaweed militia.

The UN estimates that the Darfur conflict has left 300,000 dead and more than two million homeless.

The violence there began in 2003 when rebel groups complaining of discrimination against black Africans began attacking government targets.

The government mobilised what it called "self-defence militias" in response, but denies any links to the Janjaweed, accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from Darfur.

The Janjaweed are accused of terrorising local populations in Darfur, attacking villages on horses or camels.

Unamid said it had evacuated some of the wounded by helicopter, taking them to a hospital in Fasher.