ETHIOPIA/SUDAN: Africa Union to pursue its peace mission in Darfur days after 10 of its troops got killed

Record ID: 352742

  • Title: ETHIOPIA/SUDAN: Africa Union to pursue its peace mission in Darfur days after 10 of its troops got killed
  • Date: 2nd October 2007
  • Summary: (W4) ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (OCTOBER 1, 2007) (REUTERS) WIDE SHOT OF AFRICA UNION HEADQUARTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFRICA UNION SPOKESMAN ASSANE BA SAYING: "The AU commission issued a communiqué condemning strongly the acts committed." AU FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AFRICA UNION SPOKESMAN ASSANE BA SAYING: "It is cowardly act as you can not attack people who has come to
  • Embargoed: 17th October 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA25AFCME5AWIF22EN7CM7Z3YNM
  • Story Text: Africa Union condemns the attack in Darfur on AU peace keepers.
    A top official of the African Union (AU) said on Monday (October 01) that the unprovoked attack against in Darfur will not deter the Pan-African organization from pursuing its peace mission .
    Ten AU troops were killed, ten others injured and several others are reported missing.
    It was the worst single attack on AU forces since the 7,000-strong mission was deployed to western Sudan in 2004.
    "The AU commission issued a communiqué condemning strongly the acts committed," said Africa Union spokesman Assane Ba. "It is cowardly act as you can not attack people who has come to assist the people of Darfur".
    AU troops killed in Darfur since the mission was sent to the troubled northern region of Sudan could be between 20 and 30, he said.
    He said an investigation has been launched to find out the culprits, and the result will be public.
    Ba added of the ten personnel killed seven were Nigerians, one from Botswana, one from Mali and one from Senegal.
    "Out of nowhere, they came to kill. These people and there soldiers, who have been deployed and come to assist in the name of Africa solidarity, the idea of the organisation, the commitment that we share will live as we want development in the continent," added Ba.
    The AU has long complained of a lack of equipment in Darfur, including attack helicopters and rapid response vehicles. They have also said their force was too small to contain the conflict in the vast and arid region the size of France.
    Experts estimate 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes as mostly non-Arab rebels in Darfur took up arms in early 2003 accusing the government of neglect.
    Khartoum mobilised mainly Arab militias to quell the revolt.
    The AU mediated a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels in May 2006 but only one of three rebel negotiating factions signed the deal. Since then, rebels have split into a dozen factions.
    The violence, which includes militias and tribal conflicts, has severely curtailed the world's largest aid operation.
    Saturday's attack casts a shadow on AU-U.N.-mediated talks due to begin in Libya on Oct. 27. Mediators Salim Ahmed Salim and Jan Eliasson expressed "shock and dismay" at the attack.
    The attack preceded a visit of "elders" to Sudan, including South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, ex-U.S. President Jimmy Carter, veteran peace mediator Lakhdar Brahimi and women's and children's rights advocate Graca Machel.
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