MINUSMA peacekeepers on patrol in northern Mali
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 18 (NNN-Xinhua) — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concern over the clashes in West Darfur of Sudan over the weekend, which resulted in scores of deaths and injuries.
He said that “escalating inter-communal violence has resulted in scores of deaths and injuries, the displacement of nearly 50,000 people and the destruction of property.”
Through a statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric,
Guterres expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
“The secretary-general calls on the Sudanese authorities to expend all efforts to de-escalate the situation and bring an end to the fighting, restore law and order, and ensure the protection of civilians, in accordance with the Government’s National Plan for Civilian Protection,” said the statement.
The violence reportedly morphed into broader fighting involving armed militias in the area, which left several buildings, including houses, scorched.
The vast Darfur region was the scene of a bitter conflict that erupted in 2003, leaving about 300,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced, according to the United Nations.
In a separate statement, Guterres condemned the attack against a convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) that took place on Friday near Tessalit in Kidal region, which resulted in the death of an Egyptian peacekeeper and serious injuries to another.
He expressed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family, as well as to the people and government of Egypt. He wished a speedy and full recovery to the injured peacekeeper.
“The secretary-general emphasizes that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime. The United Nations will spare no efforts in supporting the Malian authorities in identifying and promptly bringing to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack,” said the statement.
The secretary-general reaffirmed the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and government of Mali, it said.
In a press release issued by MINUSMA on Saturday, mission head Mahamat Saleh Annadif said he had “learned with dismay of the explosive device attack,” reporting that the Egyptian peacekeeper had succumbed to his injuries during his medical evacuation. “The second is currently receiving appropriate care,” he said.
It has been a deadly week for those serving in what is the world’s most dangerous peacekeeping operation. On Wednesday, four blue helmets from Cote d’Ivoire were killed when their convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device, in the vast Timbuktu region of the restive northwest African nation.
The Malian government has been seeking to restore stability and rebuild following a series of setbacks since early 2012 that fractured the country, including a failed coup d’etat, renewed fighting between government forces and Tuareg rebels, and the short-lived seizure of its northern territory by radical extremists. — NNN-XINHUA
