10 April 08 - Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson on Gunmen Attack UNAMID Police Patrol

1 Dec 2008

10 April 08 - Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson on Gunmen Attack UNAMID Police Patrol

10 April 2008

Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson

Gunmen Attack UNAMID Police Patrol Near Zamzam Camp in N. Darfur
 


El Fasher, N. Darfur / 10 April 2008 – One UNAMID police officer was injured and two vehicles hijacked when four unidentified gunmen attacked a UNAMID Police Patrol Wednesday afternoon only 2 kms north of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp of Zamzam south of the city of Al Fasher. Sudanese police recovered one of the vehicles while the other remains missing.

The UNAMID Police team was returning from a routine patrol at the IDP camp when they were stopped by four armed men. The officers were ordered to dismount their vehicles, and were robbed of personal belongings and official identification cards. One officer was repeatedly hit in the neck by one of the assailants using the back of an AK 47. The injured officer was later taken to UNAMID’s level II hospital for treatment. His condition is stable.

UNAMID condemns in the strongest terms such attacks on UNAMID police officers who do not carry arms while performing their duties to serve peace in Darfur and protect civilians. An investigation is underway and will continue until the perpetrators are brought to Justice.

UNAMID police in Darfur carryout daily assignments designed to provide a safer environment for civilians, particularly the more vulnerable groups; IDPs and women.

There are approximately 1562 police officers serving with UNAMID out of the 6372 stipulated by UN Security Council Resolution 1769.

UNAMID has appealed to contributing countries to send their police forces to Darfur with immediate effect to strengthen the capacity of UNAMID and help it fulfill its mandate.

The protection of civilians is one of the main tasks in UNAMID’s mandate in Darfur.


For further information, please contact:

Noureddine Mezni, UNAMID Spokesperson
Tel. +249 (0)912174276
Email n.mezni@un.org, n.mezni@yahoo.fr