| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Subsaharan |
| Major Setback for UN in Darfur |
| 2008-01-13 |
| A U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force faced the first major challenge to its authority in Darfur, Sudan, this week, enduring more than 10 minutes of hostile fire from Sudanese forces without responding with a single shot. The assault Tuesday evening against a clearly marked supply convoy of more than 20 trucks and armored personnel vehicles left a Sudanese driver critically wounded and prompted a formal protest from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. It also gave the U.N.-backed force a humiliating defeat during the critical first weeks of its mission in Darfur. The United Nations' chief peacekeeping official, Jean-Marie Guehenno, vowed to "repel" future attacks against U.N. and African Union personnel. But other U.N. officials said the force's Nigerian commander, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, lacks the firepower to respond forcefully to a larger and better-equipped Sudanese military. Can't give 'em any real firepower, they might injure some fluffy bunnies or baby ducks. |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #9 A setback for the UN? Not meaning to be snarky, but when have they had any successes other than the WHO's victory over smallpox however many years ago? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2008-01-13 21:58 |
| #8 When you don the blue helmets, you must have to up-armour your vehicles with Scotch-Brite products. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2008-01-13 15:39 |
| #7 Sounds like they failed their first challenge. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-01-13 14:54 |
| #6 Sudanese vs. UN "peacekeepers"? Were they fighting over access to the local elementary school? |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2008-01-13 14:28 |
| #5 Wow...a formal protest, from the Secretary-General himself! Why didn't it work? I'm drawing a blank here. They haven't Fed Ex'd the Sternly Worded Letter yet... |
| Posted by: Raj 2008-01-13 11:14 |
| #4 "The United Nations' chief peacekeeping official, Jean-Marie Guehenno, vowed to "repel" future attacks against U.N. and African Union personnel." Can't have that. The UN needs to replace this cowboy. |
| Posted by: danking70 2008-01-13 10:36 |
| #3 Please tell me that we don't have troops involved in this. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2008-01-13 09:26 |
| #2 Throw in the 'progress' in Kosovo and Haiti and then compare result with getting Iraq back in order in four years, the critics don't have much to show as a 'good' example when their hands are in the process. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-01-13 09:00 |
| #1 Wow...a formal protest, from the Secretary-General himself! Why didn't it work? I'm drawing a blank here. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-01-13 08:50 |