Three UNAMID peacekeepers killed in attack in North Darfur

Three United Nations soldiers were killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in North Darfur. The peacekeepers, who served the joint UN-African Union Mission (UNAMID), came under attack while on patrol at approximately 20:15 on Monday, according to a statement from the Mission.

The attack resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and one police advisor. Six other peacekeepers were injured, three of them seriously. One assailant was also killed.  The gunfight broke out in Zam Zam internally displaced persons camp some 10 kilometres south of El Fasher in North Darfur.

Ibrahim Gambari, Joint Special Representative and head of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, strongly condemned the attack. In UNAMID’s formal press statement he is quoted as condemning “in the strongest terms this attack on our peacekeepers who have worked selflessly to bring security to the internally displaced persons of Zam Zam camp where so many Darfuris have sought refuge.”

 “The UNAMID patrol was a regular nightly patrol of unarmed police advisors and armed military escorts. Their mission was to protect civilians. For that they paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Gambari called on the Sudanese authorities to invesigate the attack and bring to justice the perpetrators as soon as possible. However, since the initial deployment of UNAMID in 2007, 33 peacekeepers have been killed as a result of hostile action, but none of the perpetrators have been brought to trial.

According to Gambari, an attack on international peacekeepers is a war crime. He said that “This deplorable incident will not deter UNAMID’s strong commitment to its mission to protect the people of Darfur.”