AU wants to respond to attacks
2007-10-02 19:46
Addis Ababa - The African Union has agreed that its mandate in Darfur should be reviewed to allow its forces to respond if attacked.
The AU denied on Tuesday that troop-contributing nations had threatened to pull their forces from a peace-keeping mission to Darfur after a rebel attack on an AU base.
It said 10 soldiers were killed and 10 wounded in the weekend raid, the worst assault on AU forces since 2004 when the 7 000-strong mission was deployed in western Sudan.
AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Said Djinnit said a
joint United Nations-AU team would begin an inquiry into the
attack, adding that the AU agreed its mandate in Darfur should
be reviewed to allow its forces to respond if they were attacked.
"Member states are deeply angered about the killing and
wounding of AMIS troops in Darfur. We will not rest until they
(the perpetrators) are found out and brought to swift justice,"
Djinnit told reporters.
"The ambassadors who represented troop contributing
countries in the Council meeting, have expressed their
commitment and determination to remain in Darfur until peace was restored," he added.
'Nigeria not a coward country'
Nigerian Ambassador to the AU and Ethiopia Obioma Opraha
said Nigerian soldiers would remain in Darfur.
"Nigeria is not a coward country. We will not run away when
such things happens. Nigeria is determined to remain in Darfur," he said.
"We are committed to do our best to bring peace to Darfur."
Malawi envoy to the AU, James Klilangawe, who chaired the
Peace and Security Council meeting on Tuesday said the AU
agreed that defence chiefs of troop contributing countries would meet either in Addis Ababa or Sudan to discuss the mission.
"They will discuss what mistakes have been made and what areas would be improved," he said.