Sudan arrests three suspects of attack on Darfur peacekeepers
December 8, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — A joint force from the Sudanese army and a former rebel group arrested today three persons suspected of killing Rwandan peacekeepers in north Darfur.
On December 4, Unidentified gunmen attacked a platoon of 20 Rwandan soldiers from the hybrid peacekeeping force escorting one water tanker in Saraf Umra, one of the government militias’ stronghold locations in North Darfur. They killed three blue helmets.
One day after, the gunmen killed two Rwandan soldiers and wounded a third in an assault at Shangil Tobay.
Following the second attack, the governor of North Darfur, Osman Mohamed Yousef Kibir who condemned the killing of the peacekeepers, announced the arrest of killers without elaborating on their number but he stressed they are now in El Fashir.
The North Darfur governor said today the three suspects were arrested in Shangil Tobay. They do not belong to any organized body but are just part of a criminal gang that stealing vehicles to sale it in some neighboring countries, he said.
Kibir also stressed they admitted their responsibility for the assault on the peacekeepers and the carjacking adding they will face justice very soon.
Last week the Rwandan government accused the Sudanese government of killing its soldiers saying there were no rebel activities in the area where the ambush took place as the Sudanese army manning a checkpoint at 300 meters from the peacekeepers.
Earlier today, Reuters reported that the former rebel group of the Senior Presidential Assistant Minni Minawi arrested the three men responsible of the shooting. The SLA-MM agreed to hand over the suspects to the Sudanese authorities.
In New York, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon today issued a statement expressing “his strong condemnation” of the second attack on Darfur peacekeepers at Shangil Tibay location in North Darfur.
“The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the AU-UN mission to carry out its important work in Darfur,” said a statement released by the spokesperson of the UN Secretary General on Tuesday.
Ban Ki-Moon “notes the Government of Sudan’s rapid action to apprehend the alleged perpetrators and renews his call that those guilty of these cowardly attacks should be brought to justice immediately.”
(ST)
silake comba
Sudan arrests three suspects of attack on Darfur peacekeepers
Message to UNAMID
Although this is not the first time peacekeepers were killed in such cawardly attacks, but it is one of the few situations where the suspects arrested. Such incidents of assaults and carjackings occurred several times, inside the major cities, particularly in El-Fasher. They occurred in Um Barou, Giraida, Sortony, kutum, Nyala, Geneina, in addtion to attacks tookplace outside cities and twons. These suggest that this phenomenon is widespread, almost allover Darfur. So, in order to reach to facts about the phenomenon, there should be serious investigation with those currently under arrest. UNAMID police should be part of or at least they should have presence during the investigations and interrogations in one way or another. In order for the interrogation to be genuine and for the trial to be fair, there should be human rights officers’ presence during the process of interrogation at the police and the court.This is essential to reach to facts, partcularly in view of the claim that there is a crossborder dimension in the carjacking process. UNAMID police should be allowed to have their own investigation/ interrogation. Lawyers for accused shoul be guaranteed, as well as the body playing the role of prosecutor for UNAMID. In addition to this. the suspects need to be interrogated under an atomophere free of external influence on their confessions.
Silake Ali Comba
El-Fasher,
[email protected]