Sudan arrests killers of Darfur peacekeepers

December 5, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese authorities announced today the arrest of gunmen who attacked Rwandan peacekeepers in North Darfur yesterday killing three soldiers, according to the hybrid mission.

Yesterday unidentified gunmen ambushed a platoon of 20 Rwandan peacekeepers escorting one water tanker in Saraf Umra, one of the government militias’ stronghold locations in North Darfur.

The attack occurred at two km “from UNAMID Company location, and 300 meters from a Government of Sudan (GoS) checkpoint,” said a UNAMID statement on Saturday.

Two Rwandan peacekeepers were shot dead at the scene yesterday. A third soldier died soon after the attack while two others seriously wounded and evacuated to El Fasher where the headquarters of the Mission are.

However the Sudanese official SUNA said the two wounded soldiers died today evening.

The governor of North Darfur, Osman Mohamed Yousef Kibir who condemned the killing of the peacekeepers, announced the arrest of killers without elaborating on their number but he stressed they are now in El Fashir.

Kibir said some of the armed looters used to attack the peacekeepers to steal their cars. He described the attack as an isolated incident stressing the commitment of the state government to cooperate with the hybrid operation in all areas to accomplish its mission.

The attack brings to 20 the number of peacekeepers killed in violence since the take over from the African mission in January 2008.

The UN and the African Union condemned today the killing of the Rwandan soldiers.

The UN chief Ban Ki-Moon deplored this attack and called on the Sudanese government to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of the ambush. He also expressed his condolences to the families of the killed peacekeepers.

Also the African Union commission chief, John Ping condemned “this unwarranted attack” on the Rwandan soldiers offering his condolences to relatives of the dead.

(ST)