Secretary-General, Deploring Killing of Peacekeepers in West Darfur,

Calls on Sudanese Government to Bring Perpetrators to Justice

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

On 21 June, unidentified armed assailants attacked an African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) security detail in Nertiti, near Zalingei, West Darfur.  Three UNAMID military personnel were killed and another wounded in the resulting exchange of fire.  All UNAMID casualties were from Rwanda.

This incident follows a deadly attack on UNAMID peacekeepers on 7 May, in which two UNAMID peacekeepers were killed.  Since the establishment of UNAMID in January 2008, 27 peacekeepers have been killed in hostile actions in Darfur.

The Secretary-General deplores these attacks on peacekeepers in Darfur, and calls on the Government of the Sudan to continue to make every effort to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice immediately.

The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to the families of the peacekeepers who lost their lives and to the Government of Rwanda, and reiterates his appreciation for their service and commitment to the search for peace in Darfur.

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For information media • not an official record