FOUR ZAMBIAN SOLDIERS IN SUDAN HAVE BEEN WOUNDED WHEN THEIR PATROL WAS ATTACKED

FOUR ZAMBIAN SOLDIERS UNDERTAKING PEACEKEEPING IN SUDAN HAVE BEEN WOUNDED WHEN THEIR PATROL WAS ATTACKED IN THE ABYEI REGION.
A SPOKESMAN OF THE U.N. MISSION IN SUDAN KOUIDER ZERROUK SAYS, THE U.N. TROOPS, ALL FROM ZAMBIA, HAD BEEN FORCED BY GUNMEN TO TURN BACK EARLIER IN THE DAY AT THE VILLAGE OF GOLI AND WERE TRAVELING TO THE TOWN OF DIFFRA WHEN THEY CAME UNDER ATTACK YESTERDAY.
AND THE U.N SAYS THE WOUNDED PEACEKEEPERS WERE FLOWN TO ABYEI FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AND ONE IS IN SERIOUS CONDITION.
ACCORDING TO THE UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL.COM WEBSITE MONITORED BY RADIO PHOENIX TODAY, IT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT GROUP THE GUNMEN ARE AFFILIATED WITH.
AND ZERROUK HAS SINCE CONDEMNED THE ACT AGAINST PEACEKEEPERS WHOM HE SAID ARE DISCHARGING THEIR DUTIES TO TRY TO HELP MAINTAIN PEACE AND SECURITY IN ABYEI.
THE U.N. MISSION IN SUDAN IS TRYING TO DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS IN THE AREA WHERE CONFRONTATIONS HAVE CLAIMED DOZENS OF LIVES THIS YEAR SINCE A REFERENDUM ON ABYEI'S STATUS WAS CANCELED OVER DISAGREEMENT ON VOTER ELIGIBILITY.
SOUTHERN SUDAN WILL SECEDE FROM THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IN JULY AS A RESULT OF A SEPARATE REFERENDUM HELD IN JANUARY.
BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH CLAIM ABYEI.
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