Darfur: Ban voices sadness at death of UN-African Union peacekeeper wounded in July

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his sadness after a police advisor serving with the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Sudan’s Darfur region succumbed to injuries sustained in a July attack.

The police advisor, a national of Sierra Leone, was seriously injured on 13 July when a patrol came under attack in Khor Abeche, South Darfur. He died yesterday in a hospital in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, bringing the death toll from the attack to eight peacekeepers.

“The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late police advisor and reiterates his expectation that the Government of Sudan will take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice,” said a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

The AU-UN Deputy Joint Special Representative for Darfur, Joseph Mutaboba, also extended his condolences on the death of the police advisor.

“This is a reminder to all of us of the sacrifices that uniformed peacekeepers make while carrying out their noble duty. In doing so, this peacekeeper paid the ultimate price and we commend his courage and commitment for his effort to make the world a better place, a safer place for us and our children in the future.”

Established by the Security Council in 2007, UNAMID is in charge of, among other tasks, the protection of civilians and contributing to security for humanitarian assistance in Darfur, where fighting between rebel groups and Government forces and allied militia since 2003 has led to the deaths of an estimated 300,000 people and displaced nearly two million.