Sudan's government says it will investigate a government attack last week that killed 17 people waiting for food aid at a United Nations relief center.

A statement from Sudan's Foreign Ministry Sunday called the incident a regrettable mistake.

The statement said a high-level committee will investigate the attack carried out by a military helicopter on a U.N. compound in Bieh, located about 1,000 kilometers south of Khartoum.

World Food Program chief Catherine Bertini says it was the second attack of its kind in less than two weeks. A WFP spokeswoman says the Sudanese government had been notified of plans to distribute food in Bieh.

Following the attack, the United States suspended its participation in Sudanese peace talks.

Sudan's civil war has left more than two million people dead from fighting or war-induced famine.

The rebels are fighting for autonomy for the south, where most people follow traditional beliefs and about five percent are Christian. The Sudanese government enforces Islamic law where it is in control.

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