13 October 2009 -- On Monday 12 October at 2145 hours, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a military guard post of the AU-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in Kutum, North Darfur, injuring one UNAMID soldier in the arm.

The attackers had already escaped by the time the UNAMID Quick Reaction Force, arrived on the scene of the attack at a water point, about 1.5 kilometres northeast of the Mission’s team site at Kutum. On receiving information about the attack, the Sudanese Armed Forces dispatched 50 soldiers to the guard post.

The Peacekeeper was evacuated to the UNAMID hospital in Kutum and later to El Fasher where his condition is currently listed as stable.

UNAMID condemns this incident, which is yet another armed attack on UNAMID personnel, who are in Darfur to protect civilians and assist in pushing the peace process forward. The Mission stresses that any attack on Peacekeepers constitutes a war crime, and reiterates its readiness to thwart any act of violence targeting its personnel and facilities.

UNAMID is also calling on the Sudanese authorities to speedily investigate the cases of violence against its civilian and military personnel to bring an end to the perpetration of such attacks.

* * * * *