The African Union (AU) condemned on Sunday the killing and wounding of more than 17 soldiers of its peacekeeping force in an attack in the war-torn western Sudanese region of Darfur.
Nouraddin Mazeni, spokesman of the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS), told reporters that the attack taking place on Saturday evening was "a dangerous accident having long-term influences."
"We condemn this unjustified crime," the spokesman said, noting that it was unacceptable that the AU peacekeepers who came to Darfur in order to ensure the peace became targets for the groups which do not love the peace.
He said a large number of unidentified armed persons carried out the attack on a position of the AU peacekeeping force at Haskanita in South Darfur State, killing more than 10 peacekeepers and wounding seven others.
Fifty African soldiers were still missing, the AMIS spokesman said, adding that the attack also led to serious material losses.
The 7800-strong AU peacekeeping force was deployed in Darfur to monitor a fragile ceasefire reached between the Sudanese government and the rebel movements in April 2004.
But armed conflicts as well as attacks on the peacekeeping force and humanitarian workers have been repeatedly witnessed even after a peace agreement was signed by the Khartoum government and a main rebel faction in May 2006.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution two months ago authorizing a hybrid peacekeeping operation to be conducted by some 26,000 peacekeepers mainly from the African countries, who will be deployed in Darfur by the end of this year.
Source: Xinhua
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