UN, AU condemn attack on UNAMID patrol in Sudan's Darfur

The United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) chiefs condemned Thursday a recent attack by unidentified gunmen on a patrol of the UN-AU Mission in Sudan's Darfur (UNAMID), which left a peacekeeper dead and another injured.

"The chairperson of the African Union Commission Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon condemn the attack on the UNAMID by unknown armed group," said a joint statement by the UN and AU chiefs Thursday.

The attack took place 40 km southwest of Kutum, North Darfur, while the peacekeepers on patrol were travelling from Kutum to Djarido, the statement noted.

Ban Ki-moon and Zuma called on the parties to the conflict in Darfur to respect the integrity of the peacekeeping force.

They urged the Sudanese authorities to investigate the attack promptly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

They expressed their sincere condolences to the family of the fallen peacekeeper and to the Government of the Republic of South Africa, wishing the wounded a full and speedy recovery.

Since its deployment in early 2008, the mission has encountered repeated attacks by unidentified gunmen in the region, where so far around 61 were killed in such attacks.

The UNAMID is considered the second biggest peacekeeping mission in the world, after the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It consists of over 20,000 personnel of military, police and civilian components. Endit