Ban slams attack on Pak peacekeepers

UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned an attack carried out by unidentified assailants that injured seven Pakistani peacekeepers outside of Sudans South Darfur capital of Nyala on Tuesday.
In a statement read out by his spokesperson at the regular noon briefing in New York on Wednesday, the UN chief asked the Sudanese government to launch an immediate investigation into this incident and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice.
The Joint UN-AU Special Representative, Ibrahim Gambari, who visited the wounded officers at the Nyala Hospital Wednesday, voiced his outrage at the wanton act of violence. He praised the courage of the peacekeepers and pledged that UNAMID would be undeterred.
Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime. Those responsible must be brought to justice, he stated. Our mission will continue to carry out its mandate - to bring peace and security to the people of Darfur.
The peacekeepers, part of a five-vehicle police convoy, came under heavy gunfire in the afternoon near Sakali, an area located two kilometres from the El-Sherif camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 17 kilometres south of Nyala, according to a news release issued by the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Sudans strife-torn Darfur region, known as UNAMID.
They were returning to their base in Nyala, following a confidence-building patrol in the vicinity of the IDP camp, when several unknown assailants armed with AK-47 assault rifles suddenly opened fire on the convoy, the mission said.
The mission strongly condemns these cowardly acts of violence against its peacekeepers, and calls on all parties to ensure the safety of UNAMID personnel in the region, it stated.
In December 2009, five Rwandan troops were killed and three injured in two separate incidents in North Darfur.
UNAMID deployed in early 2008 to assist in securing lasting peace and stability in the region, where the conflict has killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million others. Since the deployment of the mission, 22 peacekeepers (19 military personnel and three police officers) have lost their lives as a result of hostile actions.