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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| African troops killed in Darfur | African troops killed in Darfur |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Five African Union peacekeepers have been killed in an attack in Sudan's western Darfur region, officials say. | Five African Union peacekeepers have been killed in an attack in Sudan's western Darfur region, officials say. |
| AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said the soldiers were guarding a watering point near the Chad border when attacked. | AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said the soldiers were guarding a watering point near the Chad border when attacked. |
| It is the heaviest single loss in an attack since the 7,000-strong force first deployed in 2004. | It is the heaviest single loss in an attack since the 7,000-strong force first deployed in 2004. |
| A BBC correspondent in Khartoum says a helicopter ferrying senior AU military officials to El-Fasher was also shot at in a separate incident. | |
| The four-year Darfur conflict between rebels and pro-government Arab militia has seen more than 200,000 people killed and at least 2.4 million displaced. | The four-year Darfur conflict between rebels and pro-government Arab militia has seen more than 200,000 people killed and at least 2.4 million displaced. |
| Attacks | Attacks |
| Sudan has rejected plans to allow a large UN force to be deployed to support the overstretched AU mission in Darfur. | Sudan has rejected plans to allow a large UN force to be deployed to support the overstretched AU mission in Darfur. |
| "We strongly condemn this cowardly attack against the very people who are working hard to achieve peace in Darfur," Mr Mezni said. | "We strongly condemn this cowardly attack against the very people who are working hard to achieve peace in Darfur," Mr Mezni said. |
| "It was totally unprovoked." | "It was totally unprovoked." |
| The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says the AU have never had such a bad day. | The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says the AU have never had such a bad day. |
| On Sunday evening, four of the men guarding the water point were killed on the spot and a fifth seriously injured when they came under attack. | |
| Attempts to evacuate the injured man were halted by the weather and he died on Monday morning. | |
| Mr Mezni, the AU spokesman, refused to say which of Darfur's many armed groups had targeted the peacekeepers, but he said three of the attackers had also been killed. | |
| In the other incident, the helicopter was shot at five times but no one was injured. | |
| The AU is investigating the attack, but the implications are that the rebel group operating at Zalengei where the helicopter came under fire is responsible, our correspondent says. | The AU is investigating the attack, but the implications are that the rebel group operating at Zalengei where the helicopter came under fire is responsible, our correspondent says. |
| The attacks came amid mounting ethnic unrest in Darfur, where some 60 members of an Arab tribe were killed at the weekend. | The attacks came amid mounting ethnic unrest in Darfur, where some 60 members of an Arab tribe were killed at the weekend. |
| The UN humanitarian co-ordinator John Holmes has warned of an imminent humanitarian collapse in Darfur that may endanger tens of thousands of refugees. | The UN humanitarian co-ordinator John Holmes has warned of an imminent humanitarian collapse in Darfur that may endanger tens of thousands of refugees. |
| Two weeks ago, Rwanda warned it would withdraw its AU troops from Darfur unless they get more logistical support. It said the troops were too poorly equipped to protect lives in the volatile region. | |
| A total of 15 AU peacekeepers have been killed since they were deployed. |