Sudanese army Cmdr took responsibility for attack – UN

January 9, 2008 (UNITED NATIONS) — A Sudanese military commander has taken responsibility for a recent attack on a supply convoy of the new U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force in west Darfur, a senior U.N. official told the Security Council Wednesday.

Jean-Marie Guehenno, head of the U.N. peacekeeping department, told the 15-member council that a Sudanese area commander had confirmed that “a Sudanese armed force unit fired upon a convoy” ferrying supplies for rations for troops of the joint U.N.-Africa peacekeeping force, or UNAMID, in west Darfur.

Earlier Sudan’s U.N. envoy Abdalmahmood Mohamad rejected the allegations and instead blamed Chad-backed rebels for Monday’s attack.

He specifically blamed rebels of the Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, which he claimed was strongly supported by the Chadian government.

“They (rebels) are encouraged to attack UNAMID to confuse all the cards and to put the government under pressure,” Mohamad said, stressing Khartoum has nothing to gain from such an attack.

Also Wednesday the U.S. pressed for tougher sanctions against Sudan following the attack.

“The United States strongly condemns the January 7 attack by the Sudanese Armed Forces on United Nations peacekeepers who were traveling in a supply convoy in Darfur,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement.

“The United States believes this incident demonstrates the need for a stronger arms embargo for Sudan and we will be working with our Security Council partners to that end,” he said.

After Guehenno briefed the council on the incident, the U.K.’s U.N. envoy John Sawers said that “unanimous condemnation (of the attack) was quite clear.”

The council was expected to adopt a U.S.-drafted statement formally condemning the attack.

Guehenno meanwhile told the council that he met Tuesday with Mohamad, who confirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of U.N. personnel.

Guehenno said Mohamad also confirmed that Khartoum would launch a probe of the incident and that the U.N. would participate.

“We welcome this initiative. The viability of the mission depends on ensuring that this never happens again,” he added.

A Sudanese civilian driver was shot seven times and vehicles were damaged during Monday’s attack, according to UN officials.

UNAMID, which took over from an African Union mission on January 1, didn’t return fire and no troops were injured or killed, the U.N. said.

Guehenno also expressed concern about an upsurge of fighting along the Chad-Sudan border.

“The recent upsurge in fighting in Eastern Chad and West Darfur and the mobilization of JEM and Sudanese forces around Geneina are a cause of grave concern. This sends an extremely negative signal with regards to the prospects for a political settlement to the crisis in Darfur,” he added.

(AFP)