Darfur rebels kill 10 AU peacekeepers
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
HASKANITA, Sudan, Oct 01 (AP): Out of ammunition, clinging to a corner of their camp as rebel forces tore the refuge apart with rocket-propelled grenades and mortar fire, African Union troops meant to safeguard Darfur became the latest victims of the violence there.
In the worst attack yet on the AU peacekeeping contingent in the region, at least 10 of the AU soldiers were killed over the weekend when rebels overran their small base in northern Darfur, an act that puts into jeopardy upcoming peace talks meant to calm the ravaged area.
"We battled for hours, but when we ran out of ammunition, we took refuge in this ditch," said a Nigerian peacekeeper who would only give his first name, Aboubakar, because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He showed the portion of the camp riddled with bullet marks and mortar holes where the AU troops mounted their resistance.
Rebel forces left behind charred armored vehicles and bombed out barracks in the unprecedented attack. More than 30 peacekeepers were still missing by late Sunday, indicating the death toll from the attack could rise significantly.
About 1,000 rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army - the largest rebel group - attacked the base outside the town of Haskanita Saturday after sunset when Muslims break their daytime fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, AU officers told The Associated Press Sunday at the scene of the attack. The rebels eventually stormed the base early Sunday, they said.
Some of the surviving peacekeepers appeared shellshocked and said it was difficult to describe the intensity of the onslaught. They said rebels used armored vehicles and rocket-propelled grenades, an indication that they are more heavily armed than previously believed, peacekeepers said.
The AU troops said they initially repelled the assailants. But the rebels overran the camp at around 4 a.m., peacekeepers said as they recovered from the fighting.
In the worst attack yet on the AU peacekeeping contingent in the region, at least 10 of the AU soldiers were killed over the weekend when rebels overran their small base in northern Darfur, an act that puts into jeopardy upcoming peace talks meant to calm the ravaged area.
"We battled for hours, but when we ran out of ammunition, we took refuge in this ditch," said a Nigerian peacekeeper who would only give his first name, Aboubakar, because he was not authorised to speak to the media. He showed the portion of the camp riddled with bullet marks and mortar holes where the AU troops mounted their resistance.
Rebel forces left behind charred armored vehicles and bombed out barracks in the unprecedented attack. More than 30 peacekeepers were still missing by late Sunday, indicating the death toll from the attack could rise significantly.
About 1,000 rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army - the largest rebel group - attacked the base outside the town of Haskanita Saturday after sunset when Muslims break their daytime fast for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, AU officers told The Associated Press Sunday at the scene of the attack. The rebels eventually stormed the base early Sunday, they said.
Some of the surviving peacekeepers appeared shellshocked and said it was difficult to describe the intensity of the onslaught. They said rebels used armored vehicles and rocket-propelled grenades, an indication that they are more heavily armed than previously believed, peacekeepers said.
The AU troops said they initially repelled the assailants. But the rebels overran the camp at around 4 a.m., peacekeepers said as they recovered from the fighting.