Gunmen from the former rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) opened fire on African Union troops in Darfur following a road accident in which a member of their faction was killed, an AU statement said on Thursday.
The statement said three AU soldiers were lightly injured by gunfire and 13 AU vehicles seized in the incident on Wednesday on an inter-city road in Darfur, where experts say 200 000 people have died since ethnic and political conflict flared in 2003.
The AU said the gunmen opened fire on the peacekeeping troops — part of an African force of 7 000 struggling to quell violence in Darfur — after an SLM vehicle collided with an AU armoured personnel carrier on the road.
The gunmen belonged to a faction of the SLM led by Minni Arcua Minnawi, who signed a 2006 peace deal with the government that has so far failed to stem Darfur bloodshed, the AU said.
In addition to the SLM member who died in the crash, nine other SLM members were injured including four in critical condition who were evacuated by the AU for medical treatment in Khartoum.
Later, SLM gunmen stopped the vehicle convoy that had been involved in the accident, demanding the AU hand over the armoured personnel carrier and two AU personnel including the driver.
The AU refused their request, and the gunmen opened fire and then seized 13 AU vehicles and equipment including arms and ammunition, the AU said.
It said AU forces did not return fire out of fear that civilians at a nearby market could be harmed. An AU spokesperson said the AU was in contact with the SLM’s leadership to resolve the conflict and prevent further violence. — Reuters