Friday 5 October 2012

Outrage in UN over slain Nigerian soldiers

Outrage in UN over slain Nigerian soldiers
There was outrage at the United Nations yesterday over the killing of four Nigerian soldiers and injuring of eight others on peace-keeping mission in Darfur region. The world body has therefore, demanded for a probe into the killings from the Sudanese government through the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon and the Security Council.
In his reaction, the UN scribe said he was “appalled and deeply saddened” by the attack on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, UNAMID, and sent his condolence to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The attack which occurred Tuesday evening has also attracted the condemnation of the United Nations Security Council which also released a statement yesterday, condemning the ambush which has brought to 78, the number of UN troops killed in Darfur, and a total of 118 fatalities altogether when police, military observer and civilian deaths are added.

According to a statement from the UN Secretariat, the Secretary General was appalled “by the latest attack on peacekeepers in Darfur, which occurred during the evening of 2nd October when unidentified armed assailants ambushed an African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) patrol in El Geneina, West Darfur. Four Nigerian peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded.”
He therefore, called on Sudanese authorities “to conduct a full investigation and to ensure that the perpetrators are swiftly brought to justice.” The Secretary-General also expressed his condolences to Nigerian government, the families of the fallen peacekeepers and UNAMID, through a senior Nigerian diplomat and former External Affairs minister, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.
On their part, members of the UN Security Council “condemned in strongest terms, the October 2 ambush on UNAMID patrol in El Geneina, West Darfur. In a statement by the Council, the members also expressed their condolences to the families of the peacekeepers as well as the Government of Nigeria.While also calling on the government of Sudan to swiftly investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. The Council, “reiterated its full support for UNAMID and called on all parties in Darfur to cooperate with the mission.”

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