Kampala - African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have jointly condemned Monday's attacks by armed groups on an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp and the shooting at a nearby market in Sortoni, North Darfur.
“The attacks resulted in the killing of five people, including two children and the wounding of several individuals, including a peacekeeper from Ethiopia serving with the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID),” said a statement issued by Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson in New York on Thursday.
The two officials expressed their serious concern over the recent escalation of tensions between nomadic and IDP communities in the area, and called on them to refrain from acts of violence and resolve their disputes through dialogue. “They urge the Sudanese authorities to investigate and promptly and bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice,” said the statement. The continued implementation of UNAMID's mandate was deemed imperative to maintaining security and to protect civilians across Darfur, including those displaced as a result of the most recent fighting in Jebel Marra between the Sudanese Government and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid.
Ban Ki-moon and Dlamini-Zuma urged all conflict parties to resume negotiations without further delay, under the auspices of the AU High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP), with a view to achieving a comprehensive political solution that addresses the root causes of the conflict.
African News Agency