Congolese Foreign Minister Basile Ikouebe decried on Tuesday the recent attack on African Union (AU) peacekeepers serving in the Darfur region of Sudan, saying the criminals must be punished.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly's annual high-level debate, Basile Ikouebe "strongly condemned the recent attack perpetrated against the peacekeepers serving with the African Union at Haskanita in South Darfur."
The perpetrators of this crime must be "found and punished," he added.
The attack occurred at a camp of the African Union Mission in Sudan at Haskanita, South Darfur, on Saturday, leaving 10 soldiers dead, several others seriously injured and about 50 more reported missing or taken hostage.
Looking to the planned deployment of the hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force for Darfur, to be known as UNAMID, he said Congo would contribute a contingent to the mission.
He emphasized the need for political dialogue to address the crisis and looked forward to the planned Oct. 27 talks in Libya bringing together the parties.
"And for the parties that would be reluctant, sanctions should be envisioned," he said.
Ikouebe also underscored the importance of humanitarian assistance in fostering stability in the region.
Source: Xinhua
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