Darfur: Attacks continue against UN personnel

The attacks against aid agency workers in western Sudan reached new levels of violence, putting in danger vital relief operations in the region of Darfur, Ameerah Haq, Humanitarian Resident Representative of the United Nations Organization in the Sudan, declared yesterday

Photo: Darfur: Attacks continue against UN personnel

In a statement made in Khartoum and released by her office, Ameerah Haq said that the humanitarian operation in Sudan condemned all acts of violence in Darfur, where rebels have been fighting with Government forces and allied militias for five years, since 2003.

On Monday, Mohamed Ali, a driver contracted by the UN World Food Program, was shot and killed and his assistant seriously wounded by unidentified assailants while traveling on the main route in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur.

This attack followed the mortal stabbing of two other WFO drivers on the weekend in Unity state, South of Sudan, and it is the last attack in a series of kidnappings and slaughters in the country in general, and particularly in Darfur.

The office of the Mrs. Haq said in the statement that the humanitarian community appealed for an end to all the attacks, the immediate release of those who were kidnapped and for those who attack aid agency workers in all the country to be held to account.

Yesterday the representative of WFP in the Sudan, Kenro Oshidari, regretted the latest attacks and warned that the contracted transport agency truck companies and drivers were facing daily acts of violence.

More than 200.000 persons were killed in the past five years in Darfur and at least another 2.2 million were forced to escape from their homes because of the violence between tribal groups and bandit attacks.

Much earlier this year a mixed mission of the UNO/African Union to maintain peace known as UNAMID was installed to try to extinguish the suffering and violence, but up until today approximately only 9,000 armed persons are in place, well below the 26,000 expected.

Source: UNO

John LOPES

PRAVDA.Ru

CENTRAL AFRICA