Gunmen kill three UN peacekeepers in North Darfur

[News_Editor]

Gunmen kill three UN peacekeepers in North Darfur

2011-10-11 17:57:17 GMT+7 (ICT)

EL FASHER, SUDAN (BNO NEWS) -- Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed on Monday evening when a group of gunmen attacked a UN patrol in the Sudanese state of North Darfur, the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) confirmed on Tuesday.

The attack happened at around 8.15 p.m. local time on Monday when a group of armed assailants attacked a UNAMID patrol at the Zam Zam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of El Fasher, the state's capital.

The mission said three of its peacekeepers, two soldiers and one police adviser, were killed as a result of the attack. Six peacekeepers were injured, three of them seriously. One assailant was also killed.

"I condemn in the strongest terms this attack on our peacekeepers who have worked selflessly to bring security to the internally displaced persons of Zam Zam camp where so many Darfuris have sought refuge," said Ibrahim Gambari, Joint Special Representative and head of UNAMID.

He added: "The UNAMID patrol was a regular nightly patrol of unarmed police advisers and armed military escorts. Their mission was to protect civilians. For that they paid the ultimate sacrifice."

Gambari further called on Sudanese authorities to immediately launch a full investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice. "An attack on international peacekeepers is a war crime and we will ensure that justice will be served," he said. "This deplorable incident will not deter UNAMID's strong commitment to its mission to protect the people of Darfur."

The nationality or nationalities of the UN peacekeepers was not immediately released.

More than 23,000 troops, military observers and police officers and nearly 4,500 civilians serve with UNAMID, which took over peacekeeping duties from an earlier African Union mission at the start of 2008. A total of 33 UNAMID blue helmets have been killed in the line of duty while serving in Darfur.

The UNAMID force is tasked with protecting civilians, promoting an inclusive peace process and help ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance across Darfur, an arid region on Sudan's western flank.

Fighting and large-scale displacement has convulsed the region since 2003 when rebels took up arms against the Government, whose military forces responded with the support of allied militiamen.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-11