African Union says Darfur rebel SLA killed 2 peacekeepers
Oct 9, 2005 (NAIROBI) — The African Union mission to Sudan’s troubled Darfur region Sunday said the main rebel group there was responsible for the killing of two of its peacekeepers and wounding of four others when the troops tried to prevent the robbery of its civilian contractor.
Two civilian drivers were also killed and two other peacekeepers are missing following Saturday’s clashes between fighters of the Sudan Liberation Army, or SLA, and troops from Nigeria, according to a statement released by the African Union Mission in Sudan, or AMIS.
“The AMIS soldiers clearly identified their attackers as men dressed in SLA uniform and that they escaped in typical SLA vehicles into which they loaded their own casualty,” according to the statement. “From the foregoing account, all the evidence shows SLA direct responsibility.”
It said the area where the incident occurred is generally an SLA-controlled territory with a history of previous SLA interference with, and attacks on, the African Union mission patrol teams.
“Consequently, and without prejudice to the outcome of ongoing investigations, the AMIS holds the SLA solely responsible for this dastardly and unacceptable act which we condemn in the strongest possible terms,” the statement said.
It said the mission commander was making strong protest personally with the SLA’s secretary general, Mini Minawi Arkoi.
The peacekeepers were the first fatalities suffered by the AU mission since arriving in Darfur in April 2004, to monitor a shaky cease-fire deal. After first deploying with less than 500 peacekeepers, the mission has grown to 6,200.
(Reuters/ST)