Jul 9, 2008 9:00 am US/Pacific
U.N.: 7 Peacekeepers Killed In Ambush In Darfur
UNITED NATIONS (AP) ―
United Nations officials say seven peacekeepers from a joint U.N.-African Union force have been killed and 22 wounded in an attack in a northern part of Sudan's Darfur region.
Five Rwandan soldiers and two police officers, one from Ghana, the other from Uganda, were killed, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's office said Wednesday. At least seven of the wounded were in serious condition.
The attack came when a joint police and military patrol investigating the killing of civilians in North Darfur was ambushed by unidentified militia, Ban's office said.
The attackers, a group of about 200 riding horses and driving SUVs mounted with anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, exchanged gunfire for more than two hours with the peacekeeping force that included 61 Rwandan soldiers.
The SUNA, Sudan's state news agency, reported that ten U.N.-AU vehicles were destroyed in the attack.
The joint United Nations-AU force took over peacekeeping duties in Darfur earlier this year with about 9,000 soldiers and police officers.
It is authorized to have 26,000 members, but has contended with chronic shortages of staff and equipment and less-than-adequate cooperation from the Sudanese government.
The peacekeeping force has been unable to persuade the U.S. and other governments to supply attack and transport helicopters, surveillance aircraft, military engineers and logistical support it needs to safely navigate Sudan's remote western Darfur region.
Last month, four U.N.-AU staffers were assaulted and held at gunpoint in Darfur. One of the staffers was stripped of his belongings, kidnapped briefly and then released by Arab militiamen on horseback, according to a statement from the joint force
The U.N. has warned of rising banditry and insecurity in Darfur. Attackers killed an Ugandan peacekeeper in May.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
CBS News Interactive: Crisis In Darfur
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