Peacekeepers surrender vehicle in North Darfur capital

February 11, 2009 (ELFASHER) – The UN-African Union peacekeeping operation surrendered a vehicle to three men carrying a pistol in El Fasher, adding to the significant number of carjackings that take place in the North and South Darfur capitals.

A UN driver in a Land Cruiser was stopped by the attackers, who took the keys and drove off, according to a statement issued by the peacekeeping operation.

The incident, which took place Monday, follows a slew of hundreds of carjackings in Darfur last year, the highest yearly rate yet in the nearly six year conflict.

The peacekeeping operation, known as UNAMID, last November formed a specialized unit to patrol against carjackings in El Fasher, but the peacekeepers themselves were carjacked on December 28 in an incident in which a Senegalese officer sustained a fatal gun wound.

Again on Monday, an attempted carjacking took place in Kas market area of South Darfur, although the driver, who works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), managed to escape in the Toyota jeep.

The two armed men who attempted the robbery were wearing military uniform.

IOM has had problems in other government-held areas of South Darfur as well. On December 4, six IOM aid workers in three vehicles were stopped, forced to drive into a nearby gully, robbed and severely beaten after passing two government checkpoints on the short drive between Nyala town and Kalma camp for displaced persons.

(ST)