UNSC condemns killing of four peacekeepers in West Darfur

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 4 (KUNA) -- The Security Council late Wednesday "condemned in the strongest terms" Tuesday's ambush by unidentified armed men on a UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) patrol in El Geneina, West Darfur, in which four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and eight injured.
In a statement to the press, Council President Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala said the Council members called on the Sudanese Government to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
They expressed their condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Nigerian Government. They reiterated their full support for UNAMID and called on all parties in Darfur to cooperate with the Mission.
The Council statement echoed a statement earlier in the day by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who urged the Sudanese Government to conduct a full investigation into the incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.
UNAMID, established in 2007 by a Council resolution, has for task primarily the protection of civilians, but is also tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements, assisting an inclusive political process, contributing to the promotion of human rights and the rule of law, and monitoring and reporting on the situation along the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR).
Its 21,607 uniformed personnel come mostly from African countries, but also from Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Iran, Canada and China.
With the killing of the four Nigerian peacekeepers Tuesday, the death toll in the Mission has now reached 122. (end) sj.nfm KUNA 040953 Oct 12NNNN