In the second such attack this month, three United Nations peacekeepers have been shot and wounded in Sudan’s East Darfur region.
The most recent incident occurred on Monday (August 26) in the region where, according to the UN, fighting between two Arab tribes this month killed 190 people.
An “unknown armed group” attacked a patrol of the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) about 36 kilometres (22 miles) northeast of the East Darfur state capital Ed Daein, said Rania Abdulrahman, a UNAMID media officer.
“During the firefight, three peacekeepers sustained gunshot wounds,” she told Agence France Presse.
Reinforcements from the UNAMID base in Ed Daein “repelled the attackers,” while the wounded peacekeepers were taken to Ed Daein for treatment, Abdulrahman added.
On August 12 a UNAMID police patrol was ambushed in Ed Daein but there were no injuries, UNAMID said earlier.
The region surrounding the town was the scene of fighting between the Rezeigat and Maaliya tribes this month.
Last Friday, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that aid groups “remain deeply concerned about the insecurity in East Darfur.”
Thirteen peacekeepers have been killed in hostile action in Darfur since last October.
Tribal disputes have been driven by conflicts over resources, including land, water and mineral rights.
