NGO convoy waylaid in South Darfur

Khartoum
Muhammad El-Tilib

Two unknown gunmen have waylaid a convoy belonging to international NGOs near Kalma IDP camp in South Darfur and robbed the convoy’s members before beating them up which caused three of them to be hospitalized.

The media director of the UNAMID, Kamal Saiki, told the Sudanese Online Reporter via the phone from Darfur yesterday that the incident took place at 9:30 am when the convoy, which consisted of four vehicles and six national NGOs staff, was waylaid by two gunmen carrying two Kalashnikov and grenades on the way from Nyala town to Kalma camp.

He added that the gunmen had robbed the convoy’s members of their financial belongings before they beat them up badly. Saiki further said that three of the convoy’s members, who were all Sudanese, were taken to hospital as a result of beating; however, Saiki later added that their lives were not in danger.

Saiki further pointed out that the gunmen had seized one of the convoy’s vehicles to escape but the vehicle was found later abandoned. “The assailants are yet to be identified; however, the incident seems nothing more than an act of banditry” Saiki concluded.

All rights reserved - Sudanes Online Reporter
05 December 2008