Sudan seeks cash for nomad deaths
By Amber Henshaw
BBC News
Sudan wants $40,000 compensation for four Arab nomads killed when a grenade went off as they tried to retrieve the body of a French peacekeeper.
Eufor soldier Gilles Polin was shot and killed when he accidentally crossed from Chad into Sudan and there was an exchange of fire with Sudan’s military.
The Sudanese government has asked the European peacekeeping force for $10,000 compensation for each of nomads killed.
Eufor’s 3,700-strong force began deploying last month.
Sudan’s army said last week that the four nomads were trying to put the body of the Eufor peacekeeper Gilles Polin onto a camel when a grenade found with his body went off.
Sergeant Polin died after the Eufor vehicle he was in strayed across the border from Chad into western Darfur.
Officials in Khartoum said the peacekeepers opened fire first but were forced to flee when the Sudanese army shot back.
They said three Eufor vehicles and a helicopter returned 30 minutes later and there was a second exchange of fire.
European troops started to deploy to Chad and the Central African Republic despite a brief delay caused by an attempt by rebels to overthrow the Chadian government.
Analysts say the coup attempt was backed by Khartoum – they say Sudan is against having European peacekeepers stationed on its border.
A spokesman for Eufor said he was determined that the force would be fully deployed despite this incident.
The French peacekeeper’s body was flown back to Paris on Friday night.
