El Fasher, 07 May 2010 – Today at about 11.30hrs, a military convoy from UNAMID’s Egyptian contingent, with three vehicles and 20 personnel, was ambushed near Katila village, 85km south of Edd al Fursan, South Darfur, by a group of unidentified armed men who indiscriminately opened fire, without warning, on the peacekeepers.

The attackers fled when the convoy returned fire. The attack left two peacekeepers killed in action and three seriously wounded. The injured soldiers were air-lifted to UNAMID’s hospital in Nyala, South Darfur, and are reported in stable condition.

The AU-UN Joint Special Representative (JSR) Ibrahim Gambari expressed outrage at this cowardly attack against UNAMID’s peacekeepers, who are in Darfur to help restore peace and stability. UNAMID remains undaunted and unwavering in its commitment to carrying out its mandate in the service of peace.

UNAMID calls upon the Government of the Sudan to identify, capture and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and reminds all parties that any attack against peacekeepers constitutes a war crime.

This attack brings to 24 the number of UNAMID personnel killed in hostile actions since the Mission’s was established in January 2008.