Nigeria may withdraw troops from Sudan’s Darfur
October 1, 2007 (ABUJA, Nigeria) — A Nigerian army spokesman said the deadliest attack on peacekeepers in Darfur could prompt his country – which leads the mission in the strife-torn Sudanese region – to reconsider its commitment to the trying to calm the continent’s hotspots.
Col. Solomon Giwa Amu, an army spokesman, said nine Nigerians died after Sudanese rebel forces briefly overran an African Union base in Darfur late Saturday. One Malian, one Senegalese and one Botswanan in the AU force also were confirmed dead, bringing the death toll to at least 12. Peacekeepers were searching for more than 20 missing members of their force Monday.
Senegal had cautioned it could pull troops out when five of its soldiers were killed in Darfur in April – until this weekend, that had been the deadliest attack on the AU force since it deployed in June 2004. After the weekend violence, Senegal’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it “reserves the right to consider its responsibility if the security of its contingent and those of other African troops in general are not guaranteed.”
The Senegalese statement also called for the immediate deployment of a proposed hybrid AU-UN force and appealed to all sides to halt attacks on “forces that are keeping the peace and which are impartial.”
The 7,000 member AU force is to be merged into the more powerful hybrid U.N. force that, at Sudan’s insistence, was to be largely African. The first units of the 26,000-strong joint AU-U.N. force are due to be deployed this month and the new mission is expected to assume responsibility for the area on Dec. 31.
Nigeria has one batallion, or about 800 troops, on the ground in Darfur and has said it will likely send another batallion to join the AU-UN force. The current military commander of the AU force is a Nigerian, Gen. Martin Agwai.
Amu, the Nigerian army spokesman, called the weekend attack “unfortunate and tragic,” and linked the high toll to the beleaguered force’s weak mandate and the unprecented nature of the fight, which saw hundreds of rebel attacking the installment where some 150 AU troops, mostly Nigerian, were based.
“We are not there for war,” he told The Associated Press. “We went there for peacekeeping.”
Asked if he expected the attack would cause some shift in official policy, Amu said: “I won’t be surprised if it does.”
(AP)
Bob Tata
Nigeria may withdraw troops from Sudan’s Darfur
I think the Nigerians’ decision to withdraw or full their forces out of the Darfur region is a good one!
Simply because they are too weak and too naive to defence themselves and the people of Darfur! As they are unprofessional and not strong enough to handle the situation, their withdrawal from Darfur region will re-open the way for more powerful and more professional troops such as those of UN and EU to
come to the region and protect the people of Darfur!
By Bol Thourmuck
bol II
Nigeria may withdraw troops from Sudan’s Darfur
I wounder why brothers Nigerian and Senegeles are urging taking their troop.they already knew that Darfur is a war zone death cann’t be a suprise.
brothers you contribut your troops to protect Darfur displaced people.keep your task just like American are dieing in Iraq because they commit them selves to do their best.
Please African do not fear of death it come anytime,anywhere.