Gunmen kidnap 2 African Union staff in Darfur
Source: Reuters
(Adds details of kidnap, background) KHARTOUM, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Armed men kidnapped two African Union military personnel in the main town of Sudan's Darfur region, the AU said on Monday. "The force commander of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) is utterly dismayed at the hijacking yesterday ... of an AMIS vehicle together with two military personnel by unidentified armed men," the AU said in a statement. The AU called on the kidnappers to release the two and their vehicle immediately and unconditionally. The two were abducted in the town of El Fasher, the AU said. Deadly clashes have taken place in the town over the past week between Janjaweed militias, which the Sudanese government is accused of backing, and a former rebel group. The government denies supporting the militias. The AU maintains a 7,000-strong force in Darfur that has been criticised for failing to stop the violence in the region. Experts say around 200,000 people have been killed since the conflict flared in 2003 when rebels took up arms against the government, charging it with neglect. Last week the AU said it was worried that a coalition of rebel groups might attack its force in El Fasher. And villagers angry about the killings on Saturday of about 30 civilians near the village of Sirba in western Darfur briefly detained a team the AU had sent to investigate the attack.
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