The Presidency of the European Union strongly condemns the attack on a team of the AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and the subsequent abduction and killing of two Nigerian AMIS soldiers in Graida, Darfur, on 5 March, which was apparently perpetrated by elements of Minni Minawi's faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement. The Presidency offers its condolences to the families of the two soldiers.
The Presidency joins the African Union in calling on the leadership of the Sudan Liberation Movement to fully cooperate with AMIS in investigating the crime and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The Presidency reiterates that it considers any attack against AMIS to be an intentional violation of the existing ceasefire agreements and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. In this context, the Presidency recommends that the Cease Fire Commission should transmit its reports to the Sanctions Committee established by UN Resolution 1591.
The killing of the two AMIS soldiers underlines the urgent need for all parties in Darfur to commit themselves to an immediate cessation of all fighting and violence and to work for a political solution to the conflict.
