Attack on UN-African Union Peacekeepers in Darfur Condemned

Security Council Condemns Attack on UN-African Union Peacekeepers in Darfur

New York, Aug 15 2012 - The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the attack that killed a United Nations peacekeeper and injured another while they were protecting civilians in Nyala, South Darfur.

According to a news release issued by the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, known by the acronym UNAMID, over the weekend, the peacekeeper, who was a member of a Bangladeshi Formed Police Unit, lost his life at approximately 3:15 a.m., when a gang of armed people surrounded and fired at the staff in UNAMID’s community policing centre inside the Otash camp for internally displaced persons.

The armed men reportedly fled after the police unit returned fire.

In a press statement released on Tuesday night, the Security Council expressed its condolences to the family of the peacekeeper killed in the attack, as well as to the Government of Bangladesh.

The Council members also called on the Government of Sudan to “swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice,” reiterated their full support for UNAMID and called on all parties in Darfur to cooperate with the Mission.

UNAMID is tasked with protecting civilians, promoting an inclusive peace process and helping ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance across Darfur, an arid region on Sudan's western flank.

Since the Mission’s initial deployment on 31 December 2007, 38 peacekeepers have been killed as a result of hostile actions.

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

ENDS

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