Former Darfur rebel group say AU soldiers killed 14 of its troops
June 2, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A former Darfur rebel faction said that the African peacekeepers killed 14 members of its troops last week during a clash in South Darfur, while the AU mission said only one had been killed.
The field commander of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) of Minni Minawi has affirmed that the African Union (AU) forces last Thursday 31 May killed 14 SLM soldiers at Um-Zaifa area in eastern Nyala in South Darfur. The commander said that the AU forces also injured others in the same area and that the injured have transferred to hospitals in Khartoum for treatment.
The military spokesman for SLM-MM, Mohamed Hamid Darbin said that Nigerian commanders should be held responsible for the incident. He said that the presence of Nigerian Commanders has becomes an obstacle in implementing the peace process in the region.
He explained that they have caused problems between the movement and AU in areas of Guraida and Ambru, two zones controlled by Minni Minawi troops.
Explaining the incident, Darbin said one of a tank owned by AU forces pursued a military vehicle belonging to the SLM on road Niyala-Mahajirya road, adding that the tank killed and injured all of those on board the vehicle.
The A.U. expressed in a statement its “heartfelt condolences” for the killed SLM member. It said it had medically evacuated the wounded fighters to Khartoum on an A.U. aircraft and was working to contain the incident.
The A.U. statement said the African peacekeepers did not return fire or defend themselves to avoid civilian casualties. The U.N. in Sudan reported that 13 A.U. vehicles were captured by the SLM, along with weapons and the peacekeepers’ personal belongings.
(ST)