EL-FASHER, Sudan, 2 October 2007 — African peacekeepers were yesterday searching for more than 20 members of their force still missing and feared wandering the wilderness of Darfur after rebels overran their base in an unprecedented attack that stunned the international force.
The attack Sunday on the Haskanita base in northern Darfur illustrated the chaos in the war-torn region ahead of peace talks later this month — and the dangers that could face a bigger United Nations force due to start deploying in coming weeks.
Darfur rebels have grown increasingly hostile to the struggling 7,000-member African Union force, saying it favors the government side and has failed to protect Darfur civilians. The AU denies any favoritism and has often complained its forces are overstretched and undersupplied — but the attack raises fears that a future UN force could face the same bitterness.
In Sunday’s attack, around 1,000 well-armed rebel gunmen overwhelmed the small Haskanita base of about 150 troops before dawn after hours of fighting, during which some of the African soldiers ran of ammunition. The battle killed 10 peacekeepers in the deadliest attack on the AU force since it deployed in June 2004.
The rebels looted ammunition and armored vehicles, and it took Sudanese troops to chase them away as AU troops evacuated. The scene was chaotic at the base Sunday afternoon. AU troops with their belongings were being ferried out by helicopter to safety, while Sudanese troops stood in combat positions nearby.
Inside the camp, tents still burned and an armored personnel carrier was smoldering, as some Sudanese soldiers sifted through the tents, carrying away mattresses, beds and fans. Some could be seen rising from nearby villages, apparently burned amid a government offensive on rebels that has been raging in the area for two weeks.
A group of 23 peacekeepers was still unaccounted for after the attack and were believed to be wandering around the barren area near Haskanita, AU officials in El-Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, said. “We don’t think they’re hostage, we’re hoping they’re out there somewhere on the way” to safety, said a senior AU officer involved in the rescue. He and other officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
