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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:36 am Post subject: |
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Nigerian Troops in Darfur Killed By Rebels - Sudanese Ambassador
Daily Trust
Elkanah Chawai
& Aisha Umar
7 June 2007
Sudanese troops are not responsible for the killing of Nigerian troops on peacekeeping mission in Darfur, the Sudanese ambassador to Nigeria, Awad Mursi Taha, said yesterday.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, he blamed all the deaths of Nigerian troops on rebels. They deliberately target peacekeepers to send "wrong signals" of insecurity in the region, he said.
In recent times, six Nigeria soldiers have died in Darfur, with two of them, Andrew Adaida and Private Musa Wahab killed in a March this year in convoy attack. The killings came at a time when Nigeria's government was promising not to withdraw its peacekeepers from Darfur.
Lamenting the select attack on the Nigerian troops by the rebels, the ambassador expressed his governments, sincere and heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the Nigerian families who lost their beloved ones in Darfur.
He said: "This great and noble sacrifice by Nigerians to ensure peace and security in Darfur will not affect the relations between Sudan and Nigeria. On the contrary, Nigerian involvement and its prominent role and contribution to the Darfur mission has created a good image and respect for Nigeria in Sudan. The people of Sudan do highly appreciate this role".
Ambassador Mursi Taha reaffirmed Sudan's stand against the transfer of the African Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to a UN operation and clarified that "what has been agreed upon in Addis Ababa during the High Level Consultative meetings on 16th November, 2006 and the subsequent AU Peace and Security Council summit in Abuja on 30th November, 2006, is to activate the political process to make the DPA more inclusive, to observe a ceasefire mechanism and to resolve the peacekeeping impasse, a three-phased approach was proposed".
He said he hopes Yar'Adua's administration will support Sudan "with even greater zeal and vigour" and persuade the rebel factions who have not signed the Abuja peace agreement to join the DPA to embark on the peaceful political process."
On the recent economic sanctions imposed on Sudan by the US he government, condemned the action as irresponsible, believing that such action will only "complicate the issues and frustrate all genuine efforts to resolve the crisis in Darfur. One would have hoped for a considera-bly more leadership on the part of President Bush".
Copyright © 2007 Daily Trust
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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm |
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