South African Peacekeeper Killed in Sudan Identified

United Nations peacekeepers in the Darfur region of Sudan. Three of these soldiers were killed on October 11, 2011., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

SA Peacekeeper killed in Sudan identified

Thursday 18 October 2012 18:46

SABC

International Relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela.(SABC)

The names of the three South African peacekeepers who were killed and seriously injured in North Darfur, Sudan, yesterday, have been released.

SANDF spokesperson Brigadier-General Xolani Mabanga has told SABC News that the South African soldier who died was Private Vincent van der Walt. The two injured soldiers are Corporal Kabelo Ronald Sebe and Private Thabiso Sydwell Makhetha.

Aicha Elbasri of the United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur says unidentified armed men ambushed the Unamid convoy in which the three South Africans were travelling.

"They came under a combination of automatic and mortar fire, which resulted in the loss of the South African peacekeeper and the injury of two other peacekeepers, two of them actually were seriously injured."

Elbasri further says, "It happened at about 10am in North Darfur, while the convoy was on its way from Kutum to Hashaba North. They were heading to this area to assess the situation following recent reports of violence. The situation is a bit volatile."

The team was part of an AU-UN peacekeeping mission that has been operating in Sudan. International Relations spokesperson Clayson Monyela says South Africa will ask the AU and UN to probe the incident.

He says the South African government condemns these violent attacks. Monyela says, "We call on the government of Sudan to launch an investigation to get to the bottom of this tragic incident."