

Two international peacekeepers kidnapped in Darfur

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Two international peacekeepers with the African Union/U nited Nations Hybrid Operations in Darfur (UNAMID) were kidnapped in Sudan's Darfur region early Saturday, according to UN AMID spokesman Kemal Saiki.

Mr. Saiki, who is UNAMID's Director of Communications, told PANA the peacekeeper s, one woman and one man, were kidnapped in the western town of Salingei.

Explaining how the peacekeepers were kidnapped, the UNAMID official said: ''45 a rmed men came to their residence and took them away. There was no robbery and nothing was taken.''

He said the identities of the peacekeepers could not yet be revealed since their families have yet to be notified, but that the Sudanese authorities had been no t ified since they are responsible for the security of the peacekeepers.

''The authorities have already launched an investigation into the kidnapping,'' Mr. Saiki said.

UNAMID, with headquarters in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, formally took o ver from African Mission In Sudan (AMIS) on 31 December 2007, with the core mandate of protecting civilians.

The mission is also tasked with helping to provide security for humanitarian ass istance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements, assisting an inc l usive political process, contributing to the promotion of human rights and the r u le of law, and monitoring and reporting on the situation along the borders with C had and the Central African Republic (CAR).

At full deployment, UNAMID will have about 20,000 troops, more than 6,000 police and a significant civilian component, making it one of the largest UN peacekeep i ng operations ever.

According to UN figures, about 300,000 people have died and at least two and a h alf million displaced from their homes in Darfur since fighting broke out in 200 3 between the Sudanese Government and its allied Janjaweed militia, and other arm e d rebel groups.

Khartoum - 29/08/2009