Obituary on the Sudden Death of Charles Taban Simon
AFRICAN UNION
AFRICAN MISSION IN SUDAN
Email: [email protected]
On behalf of the entire staff of the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS) and in my own name, I would like to express deepest sorrow and regret on the untimely demise of Charles Taban Simon, a Sudanese national, employed by AMIS as Language Assistant and deployed to the Milob Group Site of Saraf Umra at Sector 4 Kabkabiya AOR.
Born on 1 January 1964 and after a 10 year teaching career, the late Charles joined the Mission in Darfur on 19 May 2005. He died of natural causes on 14 November 2006 at his work station in the course of duty and in the service of Africa and humanity at large.
An educated man and a gentleman to the corps, he was known to all as a hard and diligent worker who never relented on his duties. He was also a strict disciplinarian but yet remained an affable and respectful officer. Indeed, these qualities and other traits of his charming personality endeared him to the hearts of all who came into contact with him, particularly the Internally Displaced Persons in the camps where he worked. He has contributed his own quota, in no small measure, in helping to create a peaceful environment for his fellow countrymen, especially those in Darfur, to be able to enjoy their normal lives whilst he selflessly gave his own life for them. He was dearly loved, will be sincerely missed and forever remembered by all his colleagues (both of the Civpol, Military and Civilian Components). I therefore salute his memory, courage and abnegation while at the same time I celebrate and give thanks to Almighty God for his most fulfilling and exemplary life.
All of us at AMIS and indeed the entire African Union family would like to convey our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of our late colleague. I would like to assure them that his name will figure prominently in the annals of AMIS history as one of those who selflessly gave their lives for the noble and pioneering mission of the African Union in Darfur.
I therefore join so many others to pray that the Almighty God grant his Soul Eternal Rest and his kith and kin the strength to come to terms with this painful loss of such a dedicated GOOD MAN.
AMBASSADOR HASSAN A. GIBRIL
Deputy Head of Mission,
El Fasher, Darfur,
SUDAN, 16 November 2006