Continued attacks on aid workers in Darfur

The spokeswoman for the UN, Radia Ashouri, said that gunmen in Darfur district, west Sudan, are still launching attacks against foreign aid workers.

Ashouri added that 10 dangerous attacks targeted aid workers in August, including two attacks took place by the beginning of September, adding that these attacks reflect negatively on the humanitarian aid operations in the region.

After several instances of armed men looting humanitarian assistance in the troubled Darfur region of western Sudan, the African Union (AU) has agreed that its peacekeeping forces will increase security in designated areas, the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said yesterday.

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator, Manuel da Silva, travelled to Geneina on Monday to discuss with the Government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the AU ways to curtail the security violations that are seriously affecting humanitarian operations in West Darfur.

"An agreement was made with the African Union to increase security along the main routes and efforts are expected from government authorities to improve the operating environment for humanitarian work in the area," UNMIS said.