WORLD
HASKANITA, Sudan – Rebel forces stormed a small African Union base in northern Darfur and killed 10- peacekeepers in an unprecedented attack on the beleaguered mission that threatened key peace talks set for October. Several others were wounded and dozens were missing after about 1,000 rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army attacked the base in Haskanita late Saturday and eventually stormed it early Sunday, AU peacekeepers told The Associated Press in Haskanita.
HASKANITA, Sudan – Rebel forces stormed a small African Union base in northern Darfur and killed 10- peacekeepers in an unprecedented attack on the beleaguered mission that threatened key peace talks set for October.
Several others were wounded and dozens were missing after about 1,000 rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army attacked the base in Haskanita late Saturday and eventually stormed it early Sunday, AU peacekeepers told The Associated Press in Haskanita.
“This is the heaviest loss of life and the biggest attack on the African Union mission,” said AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni. “Our troops fought a defensive battle to protect the camp, but 30 vehicles eventually stormed it … the camp is completely destroyed.”
The Darfur situation had been expected to improve after U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Sudan early in September and announced new negotiations with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to settle the conflict that has killed at least 200,000 people and displaced 2.5 million.
Saturday’s raid represents the first time since the 7,000-strong AU mission was deployed in June 2004 that one of its bases has been overrun, though soldiers have been regularly attacked. Several ambushes of AU forces in the past year have been blamed on the rebels.
The rebels did not comment on the latest attack, nor did the Sudanese military.
