Ban hails Unamid staff rescue

2009-12-14 07:59

New York - The UN chief Ban Ki-moon commended on Sunday the rescue of two staff of the United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur after months in captivity.

"The secretary-general is deeply gratified to learn that two civilian staff members from the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (Unamid)... are now free and in the care of Unamid," his office said in a statement.

"The secretary-general commends the efforts of Unamid and the Government of Sudan in securing the freedom of the abductees. He wishes to underscore the importance of the peacekeeping and humanitarian work being undertaken by the United Nations in Darfur."

The pair, a Nigerian man and a Zimbabwean woman, were kidnapped at gunpoint in Darfur on August 29, in the first abduction targeting the joint force operating in the Darfur region of western Sudan for nearly two years. They were captive for 107 days.

Ban had telephoned President Omar al-Bashir earlier this month - the first such exchange since the Sudanese leader was indicted on war crimes - to seek his help in freeing the two detained peacekeepers.

In the statement, the UN chief stressed that "the primary responsibility for the safety and security of all humanitarian and peacekeeping personnel lies with the host government".

The world body's largest mission, Unamid was deployed in Darfur in 2008, five years after the conflict erupted when ethnic rebels took up arms against Sudanese forces and their Arab militias. The joint mission replaced a solely African Union force.

It is expected to number 26 000 troops and police officers when full deployment is complete. As of late October, there were 19 000 deployed uniformed personnel.

- SAPA