UN helicopter comes under fire in Darfur1 day ago
KHARTOUM (AFP) — A helicopter belonging to the joint United Nations-African Union force in the war-torn Darfur region of western Sudan came under fire on Monday but without causing casualties, the mission said.
"About 30 minutes into the flight and 90 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of Geneina (in West Darfur), the pilot heard shots being fired," UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni told AFP.
"The pilot aborted the mission and returned to Geneina," he said, adding that no casualties had been reported.
Damage was sustained to the rear of the aircraft and the radio system, Mezni said.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack on the helicopter, which was carrying crew members and one passenger.
Sudanese security officers confirmed the incident and pointed the finger at a Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, which last May staged an unprecedented attack on Khartoum.
JEM members contacted by AFP either knew nothing about the shooting or were unavailable for comment.
UNAMID is struggling to deploy adequate troops and air power. The incident came on the day that the US special envoy for Sudan, Richard Williamson, held talks with senior peacekeeping leaders at their headquarters in Darfur.
Williamson expressed concern over the slow deployment of UNAMID and urged its leadership to do everything possible to speed up deployment, and to improve its protection of civilians and peacekeepers, according to a UNAMID statement.
On July 8, seven peacekeepers were killed in the deadliest attack since the United Nations took over from a small African Union force on December 31.
Only around 8,000 troops and 1,500 police have been deployed, barely a third of the projected total of 19,500 soldiers and 6,500 policemen.
The mission says it needs 24 transport and attack helicopters to protect civilians adequately.
According to the United Nations, up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the conflict erupted in February 2003. Sudan says 10,000 have been killed.
The war began when African ethnic minority rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime and state-backed Arab militias, fighting for resources and power in one of the most remote and deprived places on earth.
Source
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hDuFDPbPy8Q0Qi5oS9omhESiq35Q
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