UN mission deplores death of 2 aid workers in Darfur

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 12, 2004 (PANA) — The United Nations Advance Mission in
Sudan (UNAMIS) has deplored the recent killing of two
humanitarian aid workers in the western Darfur region.

A member of the Sudanese Liberation Army ( SLA), listens to a radio at Dorsa village in west Darfur , October 10, 2004.

The victims, who worked for the British charity Save the
Children, reportedly died after their vehicle hit a suspected
landmine in Ummbaru, north Darfur.

Another Save the Children staff member, injured in the explosion,
was evacuated to the capital Khartoum for further treatment.

Condemning the unwarranted violence through Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan, Jan Pronk,
UNAMIS noted with regret that people who had gone to Darfur to
help the civil conflict victims had themselves become victims.

Pronk, who is attending the ongoing Sudan Peace Talks here, said
the victims were humanitarians, whose presence in Darfur was
“motivated by the wish to assist people affected by the
conflict.”

Pronk noted with concern that the victims were in Darfur with the
full knowledge of the Sudanese government and the rebel Sudan
Liberation Movement (SLM) as per the agreed notification
procedures.

The UN official reminded Khartoum and the SLM of their obligation
to take active steps to ensure the security of humanitarian
workers.

Following the tragic death of the humanitarian workers, UNAMIS
has suspended road movements in the affected areas north-west of
Darfur until further notice.