By Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
KHARTOUM, Sudan – Seven UN peacekeepers, all Tanzanian, were killed in an attack in Darfur by an unidentified rebel group, while seventeen people were injured, Sunday at 9:00 am. This has been the worst single attack in Sudan for the past five years. Many blame government-linked militia for this ambush.
The peacekeepers were part of the UN African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which started in 2007.
“We don’t have any doubt that the act was done by government militia, because militiaare deployed in Khor Abeche area,” said Abdullah Moursal, spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Army’s Minni Minnawi faction. “This area is completely under government control.”
The authorities denied suggestions from local sources that the attack appeared to have been planned and carried out by government-linked forces.
However, a humanitarian source expressed doubt that rebels would have carried out the attack on UNAMID. “When people are killed, probably it’s more militia,” he said, asking for anonymity from AFP. “The only thing they will do in future is to make sure they stay safe, rather than investigating anything.”
But UNAMID chief Chambas blamed inter-ethnic fighting for most of the violence.
The attack occurred when police and military personnel were on patrol, moving between bases.
Spokesman Christopher Cycmanick said the incident happened as the peacekeepers were on patrol about 16 miles west from a second base in South Darfur. Mr. Cycmanick told the BBC a large group of armed men had attacked the peacekeepers and there had been an intense exchange of gunfire. He said it was not yet known who the attackers were.
UN leader Ban Ki-moon was outraged about the killings. Ban sent “deepest sympathies” to the families of the dead and the Tanzanian government.
“The secretary general was outraged to learn of a deadly attack on peacekeepers in Darfur which occurred this morning,” said UN spokesman Martin Nesirky.
“The UNAMID team came under heavy fire from a large unidentified group. Following an extended firefight, the patrol was extracted by UNAMID reinforcements”, a statement from WORLD said.
About 50 UNAMID members have now died in hostile action since the mission began in late 2007. Before Saturday’s attack, six peacekeepers had been killed in Darfur since October.
An estimated 300,000 people have been displaced by violence in Darfur this year; more than in the last two years combined.
For further information, please visit:
The Daily Star — Militia behind deadly Darfur peacekeeper ambush: rebels — 14 July 2013
WORLD — Seven UN peacekeepers killed in Darfur ambush –14 July 2013
KBC — UN peacekeepers killed in Darfur — 14 July 2013
BBC News — UN peacekeepers killed in Sudan’s Darfur — 13 July 2013
msn news — Seven peacekeepers killed in Darfur ambush — 13 July 2013
Yahoo! News — Seven peacekeepers killed in Darfur ambush — 13 July 2013
