Horseback Raid on uNAMID troops

May 30, 2008

        On Wednesday May 21, 2008, the UN-African Union troops were attacked by a group of men riding on horseback. The horsemen were armed with weapons, which they stole from Nigerian UNAMID Peacekeepers. The incident happened near El-Geneina, the west Darfur capital. There is no evidence showing who is behind the attacks, therefore the UN peacekeepers have not been able to do anything about it.

        Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy is disappointed by this incidence. The horsemen are probably members of the Janjaweed Arab militia who are now attacking UNAMID peacekeepers for weapons. Whoever is behind this attack on the peacekeepers does not want peace for the people of Darfur. Damanga is urging all parties involved in the conflict in Darfur to cooperate with the UNAMID troops to ensure that peace is realized in Darfur. We are also pleased that the UN took the initiative to intervene when they felt it was necessary. However this is not enough, the full number of UNAMID troops needs to be deployed, and United States, the United Nations, and other nations need to pressure Khartoum to stop the genocide in Darfur.