France calls for peace in Darfur

Sudan-France, Politics, 10/12/2005

France has persistently urged all sides in Darfur to halt attacks on the soldiers of the mission of the African Union for peace keeping and to honor cease fire in the district.

The spokesman for the French foreign ministry Jan Patsit Mattie deplored the kidnapping of soldiers from the mission of the African Union on Sunday in North Darfur by one rebel group. He also deplored the attack which targeted on Saturday members of the African Union mission and resulted in killing two Nigerian soldiers as well as two civilians working with these forces.

The African Union announced on Tuesday that a faction that split from al-Adel Wal-Musawat rebel groups in Darfur released 36 members of the African Union force who were kidnapped in the area but kept two hostages, the leader of the Union's team and the translator besides keeping the cars of the peace forces with the kidnappers.

However, Baher Idris Abu Qirdah, deputy chairman of the rebel al-Adel Wal-Musawat movement in Darfur said in a statement from Abuja, Nigeria that a force from his movement freed the two last members held by what he described as an armed gang, noting that the kidnappers fled to Chad but this was not confirmed by the African Union.