UN-African Union envoy to Darfur condemns killing of blue helmet

Unidentified gunmen shot dead an international peacekeeper outside his home in South Darfur last night, the joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) announced with “deep regret” today.

The blue helmet was killed in a carjacking incident as he was opening the gate to his residence in Nyala, the state capital. The peacekeeper was rushed to a nearby UNAMID medical centre for treatment but died upon arrival.

Joint AU-UN Special Representative, Rodolphe Adada, condemned the killing in the strongest terms, emphasizing that attacks on peacekeepers constitute war crimes.

“This attack is deplorable. UNAMID peacekeepers are here to assist the people of Darfur, and any attack on them is totally unacceptable,” said Mr. Adada. “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family of the peacekeeper who lost his life.”

The military observer's name, rank and nationality will not be released until his family are notified, but he becomes the 15th UNAMID peacekeeper killed in a hostile confrontation since the mission deployed at the start of 2008.

Mr. Adada called on the Sudanese Government and the parties to the Darfur conflict to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of last night's shooting to justice.

Meanwhile, UNAMID, which has started its own investigation into the attack, informed local officials with Sudanese Government police and national security, who are also investigating the killing.

While the overall number of carjackings and thefts of UNAMID vehicles has declined since last year, such incidents continue across the region, particularly in South Darfur. A Nigerian peacekeeper was shot and killed during an ambush of a Mission escort patrol near Nyala on 17 March.

In a briefing to the Security Council last month Mr. Adada estimated that some 2,000 civilians have also been in killed in Darfur since UNAMID deployed last year, and that some of the previous 14 peacekeepers killed may have been rescued if helicopters had been available.

The hybrid UNAMID force was set up by the Security Council to protect civilians in Darfur, where an estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against Government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.