Rwandan peacekeeper killed in Darfur: UN
November 24, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Unknown armed assailants attacked an African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) convoy on Monday, killing a Rwandan peacekeeper.
The “convoy came under attack by unknown armed people on the road from Kabkabiya to Saraf Umra in North Darfur on 24 November, said the hybrid mission in statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Monday..
The Rwandan government said the deceased, a non-commissioned officer serving in Rwanbatt 40 (31 Infantry Battalion), was shot after he confronted the assailants while escorting a convoy together with 60 Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) soldiers.
The soldier who was injured during the attack was evacuated to Level II Hospital in Kabkabiya where he passed away .
The head of the joint mission Mohamed Ibn Chambas “strongly” condemned the attack, pointing out that this murder has now raised to 14 the number of peacekeepers the Mission has lost in 2013 alone.
Also the UN chief, Ban Ki-Moon condemned “in the strongest terms this attack on UNAMID and expects the Government of Sudan to take swift action to bring the perpetrators of this and previous attacks on UNAMID to justice”, said his spokesperson on Monday.
Last October, three Senegalese peacekeepers were killed and one injured after being ambushed by members of an unidentified armed group in West Darfur.
UNAMID deployed to Sudan’s western Darfur region in 2008 as the largest and most expensive peacekeeping operation in the world, employing more than 25,000 military, police and civilian staff.
The agency’s core mandate is to provide protection to Darfur civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Over 16,000 UNAMID peacekeepers are currently based in Darfur, where conflict broke in 2003 after mostly non-Arab fighters took up arms against the Sudanese government.
(ST)