July 16, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — A U.N. peacekeeper has been killed in West Darfur in the day where the UN Security council condemned the last week killing of seven peacekeepers in the troubled region.

The council on Wednesday strongly condemned the July 8 attack as "premeditated, deliberate and intended to inflict casualties," and said that attacks on U.N. peacekeepers during armed conflicts "can constitute war crimes."

In the same time in Khartoum, "The joint African Union-U.N. peacekeeping mission in Darfur said that one of its peacekeepers has been killed in Forobaranga in West Darfur whilst on patrol."

The hybrid peacekeeping mission did not indicate when the incident occurred.

U.N. officials feared a violent backlash after International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Monday sought an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on 10 counts including war crimes and genocide in Darfur.

In its presidential statement, the council underlined its determination to take action against those responsible after hearing the outcome of UNAMID’s investigation, also underlining that attacks on UN peacekeepers during an armed conflict could constitute war crimes.

It called on the government of Sudan to do its utmost to ensure that the perpetrators of the attack would be swiftly identified and brought to justice.

A convoy of the hybrid peacekeeping force in Darfur was ambushed in Um Hakiba by 200 fighters on horses and in 40 vehicles, using sophisticated weaponry and tactics.

With the U.N.-A.U. peacekeeping mission’s mandate set to expire at the end of this month, the council debated Wednesday extending the Darfur mission for another year. Such an extension is expected to be granted two weeks from now.

(ST)