UN-AU Darfur force commander denies assassination attempt

September 29, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Nigerian Army General Martin Luther Agwai, commander of the UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur, Sudan denied that he was subject to an assassination attempt in his hometown this week.

The local newspapers in Nigeria reported this week that Agwai’s convoy was attacked by eight gunmen who opened fire as he was visiting his sister’s house in his home state of Kaduna.

However the statement acknowledged that Agwai’s brother was attacked by armed robbers but said that “he was not harmed neither was anything taken away from him”.

The former Nigerian Chief of staff was appointed last August to lead the biggest UN peacekeeping operation in the world with 20,000 troops and 6,000 police under his command.

The UN-AU hybrid peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, is scheduled to take over from the existing AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) by the end of this year.

(ST)