In Memoriam, 7 RDF Troops Killed In Darfur

I read a sad bit of news today about the deaths of 7 troops of the Rwandan Defence Forces supporting a UN mission in Darfur.

7 peacekeepers killed in ambush in Darfur
By MOHAMED OSMAN and MAGGIE MICHAEL – 2 hours ago
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — In a brazen attack on horseback and from SUVs mounted with anti-aircraft weapons, some 200 gumen ambushed peacekeepers from a joint U.N.-African Union force in Sudan's Darfur region, killing seven in fierce battles that lasted more than two hours, U.N. officials said Wednesday. (continued)

Typically, this news would be another blip on the radar screen, but I had the honor and pleasure of serving on a team responsible for transporting a number of RDF troops back almost exactly 2 years ago (story here). We didn't have much interaction with them, but language and culture barriers aside, their troops were no different than ours, proud and playful and anxious about deploying into the unknown. It was remarkable to see how far Rwanda had come in the 11 years since the genocide.



I hope these seven men are remembered as heroes in their native land. They were standing up to the crime that destroyed their own country, nobly attempting to prevent these heinous acts from occurring again on African soil.



Photo Credit to Brad Church, a Hell of a photographer and even better Airman.