By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Sudan has reportedly bombed a rebel-held area in Darfur, despite assurances from Khartoum that civilians sheltering in the area near the Chad border would be allowed safe passage, the United Nations said on Sunday.

"UNAMID has received reports this morning of aerial bombings in the Jabel Moun area in western Darfur," a U.N. statement said. "We are gravely concerned for the safety of thousands of civilians in this area."

Sudan launched an offensive on Feb. 8 to retake parts of West Darfur state from rebels. Residents said at least 114 people were killed, but the army said many of those were rebels in civilian clothing.

Thousands of people fled the fighting. Some crossed the border into neighbouring Chad but many sought refuge in the nearby Jabel Moun area, which has been the scene of sporadic battles between army and rebels and has been a no-go area for the U.N.-AU peacekeeping mission known as UNAMID.

U.N. officials estimate some 20,000 people were in Jabel Moun.

Now the United Nations said there were reports of bombing in Jabel Moun, despite assurances from Khartoum on Sunday morning that civilians would be allowed to leave the area. The U.N-African Union force UNAMID was seeking similar assurances from the rebels.

"The risks at this stage to civilians are unacceptably high. The solution for Darfur's problems can never be a military one." the statement said.

"The eyes of the world are now on Darfur, and the concerns of all of us will be the innocent children, women and men who are caught up in this fighting."

AFRICAN TROOPS FIRST

International experts estimate some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes in five years of fighting in Darfur. Khartoum says the Western media has exaggerated the conflict and puts the death toll at 9,000.

Mostly non-Arab Darfur rebels, who took up arms against the government in 2003 charging neglect, have requested European and U.S. troops in Darfur.

But powerful presidential assistant Nafie Ali Nafie on Sunday rejected any notion of accepting non-African troops in UNAMID until all African soldiers have deployed to Darfur.

UNAMID, which will be the world's largest U.N.-funded peacekeeping operation, received Khartoum's blessing after months of talks, threats and negotiations.

It was delayed by impossible deployment conditions initially set by Sudan and a lack of air support from donor nations.

At full strength, the mission should consist of 26,000 troops and police.

But two months since it took over, it has only 9,000 personnel -- just 2,000 more than the previous African Union force which it absorbed -- and is struggling to live up to Darfuris' high expectations that it will protect them better than its AU predecessor.

Scandinavian units were refused entry by Khartoum and a Thai battalion is ready but still waiting for permission to deploy.

"What we ask now is that any talk of non-African troops stops until after the African troops have all been deployed on the ground," Nafie told reporters in Khartoum.

"Any attempt to talk about Khartoum's obstruction to the hybrid force or any talk about a lack of ability of African troops to accomplish the task of UNAMID is an attempt to create another crisis between Sudan and the international community," he added.

He declined to say why Khartoum did not want non-African troops, but Sudanese officials have said Africa should be able to resolve its own problems and expressed suspicions about the intentions of former African colonialists sending troops into Darfur. (Editing by Mary Gabriel)

AlertNet news is provided by