Even as the United Nations attempts to cobble together enough material support to send troops into the embattled Darfur region of Sudan, a group of rebels attacked an African Union (AU) peacekeeping base this past weekend. According to a report from The New York Times, ten soldiers were killed, at least a dozen were kidnapped, and various types of equipment, including heavy weaponry, were stolen.
The raid, which began late Saturday and appeared to be highly organized, was the deadliest and boldest attack on African Union peacekeepers since they arrived in Darfur three years ago.
As the conflict continues in Darfur, these periods of violence are becoming regular parts of the landscape. It is still unclear as to which rebel group is responsible for the raid, but the United Nations is adamant that it will not stop the peace process.
Update: Time is reporting that the AU claims the attacks were committed by a rebel splinter group that calls itself the Sudanese Liberation Army-Unity (SLA-U).