Sudan attacked UN hybrid force in Darfur – Ban Ki-Moon

Wednesday 9 January 2008.

January 8, 2008 (NEW YORK) — UN chief has condemned today attack by the Sudanese army against a supply convoy for the hybrid peacekeeping force last night in western Darfur and lodged a protest with Khartoum.

Ban Ki-Moon with members of the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) (Reuters).

Early Tuesday the UNAMID said in a press statement that a road convoy was attacked on Monday night while it was on a re-supply mission to hybrid force sites in the area between Um Baru, Tine and Kulbus, in West Darfur.

"The Secretary-General condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms and stresses that, for the joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping Operation to be able to perform its mandated functions, the Government of Sudan has to provide unequivocal guarantees that there will be no recurrence of such activities by its forces." Ban Ki-Moon said.

He further added "In this connection, the United Nations is lodging a protest with the Government of Sudan."

The area where the attack occurred has witnessed violent clashes between the government of Sudan and rebel Justice and Equality Movement. Also, the UNAMID air operations have been restricted due to the security concerns.

A Sudanese civilian driver suffered seven gunshot wounds and vehicles were damaged during the attack on the convoy. He was evacuated to UNAMID headquarters in the Darfur town of Al-Fasher for medical care.

The South African peacekeepers protecting the convoy did not return fire, and no UNAMID casualties were incurred during the attack on the convoy. However a tanker truck was destroyed and an armored personnel carrier was damaged.

APPARENT MISTAKE

Sudanese troops apparently mistook the U.N. convoy for Darfur rebels who operate in the area near the border with Chad. "It was night time, it seems the (Sudanese) soldiers lost their calm," a UN official told the Associated Press.

The senior official working with the hybrid force said the Sudanese soldiers stopped shooting after 10 minutes and let the peacekeepers go.

U.N. vehicles are painted white and marked with the U.N. logo to signal their neutrality. It was unclear how the Sudanese soldiers could have mistaken them for rebels, who usually drive camouflaged pickup trucks and don’t have armored vehicles.

The head of the peacekeeping mission, Rodolphe Adada, consulted with Sudan’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday and both sides "agreed to launch an urgent investigation," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni said.

"The is the first time UNAMID is attacked, and we hope it will be the last," Mezni said. "We are in Darfur to bring peace, not to fight."

REBEL’S CONDEMNATION

The two main rebel movements condemned the attack and describe it as first clear manifestation of Khartoum will to undermine the Longley awaited peacekeeping force to protect Darfur Civilians, they told Sudan Tribune.

Abdelwahid al-Nur the leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement expressed his strongest condemnation of the attack. He further warned "Without security there will no talks with Khartoum government."

While the spokesperson of the Justice and Equality Ahmed Hussein Adam who also condemned the attack said "This precedent shows clearly that Sudanese government working to abort the UNAMID mission and challenge the will of the international community in Darfur."

Both urged the international community to strongly condemn "the Sudanese aggression" against the hybrid peacekeeping force.

Last month in a report to the Security Council, Ban warned that the UNAMID mission was at risk, because the force still lacks crucial components, including a ground transport unit, 18 transport helicopters and six light tactical helicopters meant to provide air mobility and firepower to protect civilians and peacekeepers.

Further Jean-Marie Guehenno, the head of the UN peacekeeping department, told the Security Council in November that UNAMID risked humiliation if it was not provided with the required muscle and firepower. He specifically insisted on the importance of including four key non-African units to the force: a Thai infantry battalion, two Nepalese special forces contingents and a Scandinavian engineering unit.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission that began Jan. 1 is the latest international attempt to end the violence. A poorly equipped African Union force of about 7,000 soldiers was unable to end the chaos and suffered dozens of casualties of its own.

The hybrid force formally took over from the poorly equipped African Union mission aims to restore security and protect civilians and create conducive conditions for peace in Darfur.

According to the UN experts more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million others forced to flee their homes since fighting began in 2003 between Government forces and rebel groups.

(ST)

Some information for this report provided by AP.