Two arrests over shooting of Pakistani peacekeepers in Darfur

Sudanese authorities have arrested two men in connection with the shooting of seven Pakistani peacekeepers of UNAMID in South Darfur, officials said. Four of them are in critical condition. Gunmen opened fire on a police patrol from the peacekeeping force next to El-Sherif refugee camp near Nyala on Tuesday afternoon.

“The Sudanese authorities have arrested two people in connection with the attack,” UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters. “This will serve as a lesson to anyone who even thinks of attacking us in the future.” The gunmen escaped in two UNAMID vehicles, one of which was recovered by the Sudanese authorities, Mezni said. “Any attack on peacekeepers is tantamount to a war crime,” said UNAMID mission head Ibrahim Gambari in a statement late on Wednesday after he visited the police in hospital.