Two aid workers slain in Darfur by mounted riders
February 23, 2009 (ELFASHER) – Two health workers died in South Darfur on Saturday when the bus they were traveling in was fired on by a camel-mounted troop. Four more civilians were wounded.
Arriving unexpectedly at the scene of a robbery already under way, the aid workers serving with Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI) were felled by gunfire from the mounted assailants, according to the UNAMID peacekeeping operation.
“As the bus traveled the route from Khor Abeche to Kurunji, it was stopped by some 20 armed men riding camels, along with the transport truck preceding it,” explained AMI in a statement.
Aide Médicale Internationale has worked in Darfur since the August 2004, supporting rural populations with mobile medical clinics, preventive care, nutritional surveys, supplies and treatment. The group states that it covers a population of 230,000 people.
The two slain humanitarian workers were Sudanese nationals. One was a health educator and the other was a nurse practitioner.
Informed of the attack, other AMI employees rushed to assist the wounded, who were taken to a UNAMID camp site for treatment. Three were subsequently discharged and one was escorted to Nyala for further treatment.
The AMI team had consisted of some 12 international professionals and another 200 local workers.
“All our thoughts go to the families of the victims, to their friends and communities, as to the AMI teams in Sudan,” stated the aid group.
AMI programmes in Darfur will be suspended for eight days from the date of the attack so that the families and colleagues may honor the memory of the deceased.
(ST)