Guard killed in Sudan in attack on UN refugee post
Sudan-UN, Local, 3/16/2006

Two gunmen attacked a United Nations refugee agency compound in southern Sudan last night, killing a local guard, critically wounding an international staff member and another local guard, and forcing the suspension of the planned repatriation of some of the hundreds of thousands of Sudanese who fled a two-decade-long civil war.

"This is a shocking event, and our hearts and thoughts are with the family of the deceased and with critically ill staff members fighting for their lives," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres said today of the attack in Yei, where the agency set up the post in 2004 to prepare for the repatriation following a peace accord between the Government and southern rebels.

"This attack just underscores the difficulties UNHCR faces in our operations in South Sudan where we are trying to create an environment for thousands of refugees in neighboring countries to be able to return home and stay home," he added.

Details of the attack are still sketchy. One guard and one of the intruders were killed and a UNHCR international staff member shot in the abdomen and a local guard shot in the leg. Both are in a critical condition in hospital in Juba, the main town of the region, after being airlifted there from Yei early this morning. An emergency medical evacuation to Nairobi, Kenya, is planned as soon as possible.

Six other international staff were in the compound at the time but were not wounded. No local staff were present. The second intruder was captured and is now in detention in Yei.

The planned repatriation of Sudanese from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the Yei region, due to start next week, has been suspended while UNHCR reviews the situation.

There are 350,000 refugees from South Sudan in neighboring countries, including 13,300 in DRC, and some 4 million people displaced within Sudan.

UNHCR, along with other UN agencies and non-governmental organizations, has been working since the signing of the peace accord in January 2005 to prepare communities to receive both returnees from neighboring countries and internally displaced persons. It has built or rebuilt schools, hospitals, vocational training centers and water points to help entire communities, not just the returnees.

Previous Stories:
  Sudan warns against UN replacement of African forces   (3/9/2006)
  Sudan rejects UN forces deployment in Darfur   (3/4/2006)
  Sudan complains of Security Council leaks on Darfur crimes   (3/2/2006)
  Al-Qaida threatens to execute Sudanese hostages in Iraq   (12/30/2005)
  Egypt, Sudan to promote cooperation in antiquity field   (10/8/2005)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search