Gunmen kill 2 Egyptian peacekeepers in ambush on convoy in Sudan’s south Darfur region

Gunmen kill 2 peacekeepers in Sudan’s south Darfur

CAIRO — Gunmen killed two Egyptian peacekeepers and wounded three more in an ambush on their convoy in south Darfur on Friday, the joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission said.

The assailants opened fire on the three-vehicle UNAMID patrol Friday morning near the village of Katila, some 50 miles (85 kilometers) south of Edd al Fursan, the international peacekeeping mission said. The contingent of 20 peacekeepers returned fire, and the attackers fled.

The three wounded Egyptians soldiers were airlifted to a UNAMID hospital and are listed in stable condition.

Ibrahim Gambari, the joint special representative of the U.N. and the African Union in Darfur, expressed outrage at the attack, and UNAMID called on the Sudanese government to capture and punish those behind the ambush.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, and said in a statement that Egyptian officials were working with their Sudanese counterparts to find out who was responsible.

The attack brings to 24 the number of peacekeepers killed since the UN-AU force deployed in January 2008 to protect civilians and improve security in Darfur.

The U.N. estimates that some 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been displaced since ethnic African tribesman in the vast arid western Darfur region took up arms against the Arab-dominated central government complaining of discrimination, lack of political representation and neglect.

The government says those figures are exaggerated.