Several injured as UNAMID chopper makes emergency landing in Darfur

August 16, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Several people were injured on Sunday when a helicopter from the hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) made an emergency landing in Saraf Omra area in North Darfur state.

“A UNAMID helicopter underwent an emergency landing at Saraf Omra in North Darfur and a number of passengers have been injured but no deaths have been reported,” the mission said

Passengers on board the aircraft included the commissioner of Al-Siraif locality, Mohamed Ismail, former commissioner, al-Hadi Adam Hamid, director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) in the locality besides foreign nationals from the UNAMID.

According to eyewitnesses, five people were injured including the NISS director, an official from UNAMID and three others.

The mission said it did not know what had caused the emergency landing, which took place at 12:30 pm (local time) but that it was investigating the incident.

UNAMID has been deployed in Darfur since 2007 with a mandate to stem violence against civilians in the restive region.

It is the world’s second largest international peacekeeping force with an annual budget of $1.35 billion and almost 20,000 troops.

(ST)