U.N. Security Council, EU Slam Attack on Darfur Peacekeepers

The U.N. Security Council on Sunday condemned an ambush on U.N. and Africa Union troops in Sudan's Darfur region that killed seven peacekeepers.

A unanimous statement from all 15 members of the security council "in the strongest possible terms" condemned Saturday's attack on a patrol of troops with UNAMID -- the AU-U.N. mission in Darfur.

The council called the attack "one of the most severe attacks on UNAMID since its deployment" in 2007.

The seven dead were all Tanzanians. Seven other peacekeepers and police were injured, two seriously, U.N. officials said.

The council statement urged the Khartoum government "swiftly to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice."

The United Nations has made similar calls after attacks on its peacekeepers in Sudan, but U.N. sources say they are unaware of anyone having been held accountable.

Later on Sunday, the European Union firmly condemned the attack.

The bloc "strongly condemns yesterday's attack" on UNAMID, the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

Ashton called on Sudan "to take rapid action to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice."

She also said that she was "deeply concerned about the deteriorating security situation in Darfur."

"This latest attack on... (peacekeepers), the third in three weeks, underlines the need to revitalize efforts to achieve a comprehensive and inclusive peace in Darfur and across Sudan."

About 50 peacekeepers belonging to UNAMID, which has some 20,000 police and soldiers under arms, have lost their lives since its deployment more than five years ago.

Rebels in Darfur have been fighting the government for a decade, but UNAMID says clashes between rival tribal and ethnic groups have been responsible for most of the worsening unrest there this year.

U.N. experts, human rights activists and tribal leaders have accused government security forces of involvement in this year's tribal fighting.