Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda condemned the killing on 13 July of seven peacekeepers serving with the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and the wounding of 17 military and police personnel.

The ambush carried out by a large unidentified group, which drew condemnation from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council, was one of the most serious attacks against the mission since its deployment in early 2008, and the third in the past few weeks. The office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have committed such crimes should the national authorities fail to.

“The Prosecutor reminds all parties to the conflict that the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction in Darfur […] and that the intentional directing of attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes,” said a statement issued by the Prosecutor’s office.

“The office will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have committed such crimes should the national authorities fail to,” it added. “The Prosecutor calls on the Government of Sudan to carry out a prompt and full investigation and to hold all those responsible to account.”

Located in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the ICC is an independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern – namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes – if national authorities with jurisdiction are unwilling or unable to do so genuinely.

The Darfur region of Sudan is one of eight situations currently under investigation by the ICC. The others are northern Uganda, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kenya, Libya, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire.

In a statement, Ban’s spokesperson said the Secretary-General was “outraged to learn of a deadly attack on peacekeepers […]” and said he expects the Government of Sudan will take swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice.

In a news release, the joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said this morning one of its patrols was ambushed and came under heavy fire from a large unidentified group approximately 25 kilometres west of the Mission’s Khor Abeche team site.

Following an extended firefight, the patrol was extracted by UNAMID reinforcements that arrived from the Mission’s Khor Abeche and Manawashi sites.

Seven Tanzanian peacekeepers were killed and 17 military and police personnel, among them two female police advisers, were wounded.

Ban expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, the Government of Tanzania and to all UNAMID personnel.

UNAMID Joint Special Representative Mohamed Ibn Chambas also condemned “in the strongest possible terms those responsible for this heinous attack on our peacekeepers,” and added that “the perpetrators should be on notice that they will be pursued for this crime and gross violation of international humanitarian law.”

“We have witnessed deterioration in the security situation. More people have been displaced—over 300,000 since the beginning of this year—due mostly to tribal clashes,” Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous told journalist in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on 4 July.

Earlier, he had met with President Omar Al-Bashir and other senior officials to discuss the ongoing peace efforts.

Ladsous reiterated the UN’s support for the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and urged the Government and the non-signatory movements to cease hostilities and “enter into negotiation immediately.”

The Doha accord, or DDPD, negotiated with the support of the Government of Qatar, forms the basis for a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive peace agreement to end the fighting that began in Darfur 10 years ago, pitting Government forces and allied militia against rebel groups.

The Sudanese Government and two major rebel groups have committed to the DDPD. The Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) signed on last year; the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) signed a framework agreement in January 2013.

During a media conference, Ladsous also condemned an attack on the UN near Labado, East Darfur. Three “blue helmets” were injured on 3 July when an unidentified armed group ambushed a joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) convoy.

“Attacks on peacekeepers are a crime,” he stressed, noting the peacekeeper’s robust response to the attack and calling for those responsible to be apprehended and prosecuted.

In violation of international humanitarian law, a UNAMID ambulance was also fired upon during the attack.

Ladsous visited the injured peacekeepers this morning at a Mission hospital in Nyala, southern Darfur.

During his three-day visit, Ladsous met with the Governor and other members of local government in El Daein, East Darfur state, as well as leaders of the Native Administration and civil society, and internally displaced people at the Neem camp.

Regarding relations between Sudan and South Sudan, Ladsous called on the Governments of both countries to fully implement the 27 September 2012 Agreements and resolve all disputes through the bilateral mechanisms provided for in these accords.

The agreements – signed in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, under the auspices of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel – includes provisions on security, the common border and economic relations aimed at enabling the two nations to fulfil their obligations under a so-called roadmap for easing tensions, facilitating the resumption of negotiations on post-secession relations and normalizing the relations between the two countries.

In meetings, Ladsous also expressed concern over the security and humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

The visit to Sudan is part of Ladsous’ wider tour in Africa which included stops in Mali where UN peacekeeping troops known as the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) have taken over security duties. Ladsous heads next to South Sudan.

According to a statement issued by his Spokesman, the Secretary General “strongly condemns the detention of four United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) peacekeepers by armed elements in the vicinity of Al Jamla, in the area of limitation.”

Calling for the peacekeepers’ immediate release, Secretary-General Ban reminded all actors in Syria that UNDOF is mandated to monitor the Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria.

“The Secretary-General calls on all parties to respect UNDOF’s freedom of movement and safety and security,” the statement said.

This latest incident comes nearly two months after 21 UNDOF peacekeepers were captured on 6 March in the same location by armed elements of the Syrian opposition. They were held for fours before being released safely.

In the wake of that incident, the Security Council issued a Presidential Statement on 27 March expressing its “grave concern” at the presence of the Syrian and opposition troops inside the demilitarized area of the Golan Heights, and called on both sides to respect the blue helmets’ freedom of movement and security.

That statement followed a briefing to the Council by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous on the security risks and operational challenges facing UNDOF.

Ladsous told journalists after the closed-door session that UN peacekeepers had reduced their activities in response to the presence of armed groups from the Syrian conflict and have taken additional security measures, including more frequent use of armoured vehicles.

Peacekeepers serving with UNDOF monitor the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war. In December, the Security Council extended the mission’s mandate for another six months, until 30 June 2013.

According to information from the UN mission, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, 245 Mayi-Mayi Kata Katanga combatants entered the UN compound on 23 March where they sought refuge following an earlier attack.

“The Mayi-Mayi elements arrived at the MONUSCO compound at around 13:30 local time, on Saturday, after being repelled by Government troops, following a surprise attack against Government institutions in Lubumbashi,” said the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in New York.

Following negotiations mediated by MONUSCO between the provincial authorities and the Mayi-Mayi, the Combatants were transported by the Congolese authorities to Kinshasa on two flights, the UN said.

In a news release, MONUSCO welcomed the “peaceful surrender” of the combatants.

Among them, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) had identified and separated 40 children to be demobilized and sent back to their families.

Local non-governmental organizations estimated that at least 35 people, including civilians, were killed in the fighting in the city. An additional 16 combatants were injured and transferred to local hospitals for attention.

The UN Security Council tasked MONUSCO with supporting the Congolese authorities in their stabilization and peace consolidation efforts, including assisting with the holding of elections, the monitoring of human rights violations and support for Government action against armed groups operating in the east of the country. A possible revision of the mandate is currently under review.

The peacekeeper was wounded when an unidentified armed group fired on an UNMISS patrol that was moving from Gurmuk to Pibor, UN spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told a news conference in New York.

“The peacekeeper has been evacuated to Juba for further medical treatment. His situation is stable,” he stated.

“The Mission strongly condemns this attack against its personnel and calls on all parties to respect the freedom of movement of UN personnel carrying out their mandate and to cooperate with the peacekeepers in their efforts to protect civilians and help establish a stable security environment in Jonglei state.”

Jonglei is the largest state in South Sudan and has been the scene of inter-communal violence since the country became independent from Sudan in July 2011.

The UN Security Council set up UNMISS in July 2011 to consolidate peace and security, and help to establish conditions for development in the world’s youngest nation.

Sgt. Mercedes Saniña, Military Police Officer, photographed with her team at Sector East Headquarters near the town of Marjayoun, South Lebanon. October 2012.

“I know what it means to lose your house, to be looted. To look a child in the eye and say, ‘If they come for me, you need to run’,” said the newly appointed United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. “I know what it means to give testimony and to investigate the documents.”

These words came from Zainab Hawa Bangura, former health minister of Sierra Leone and a survivor of that country’s civil war, who has just completed six months in office and is determined to get governments to take the lead in combatting rape and sexual violence in their territories.

It is estimated that up to seven in ten women globally will be beaten, raped, abused, or mutilated in their lifetimes. Violence against women is universal, and is prevalent in all countries and all settings. A gross human rights violation, it fractures families and communities and hampers development.

Against this backdrop, the Commission on the Status of Women is focusing its current session (4-15 March) at UN Headquarters in New York on the theme “Elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls.” The session is being billed as the largest international meeting on ending violence against women.

Among those on the front lines of battling this scourge are the men and women who serve with UN peacekeeping operations in conflict and post-conflict settings. The strong link between women and peace and security was recognized in 2000 when the Security Council adopted resolution 1325 – the first resolution to address the disproportionate and unique impact of armed conflict on women. Through 1325 and subsequent resolutions, peacekeeping missions have been increasingly mandated to address violence against women, particularly sexual violence.

While host governments are ultimately responsible for the protection of their civilian population, UN peacekeepers are playing an increasing role in helping to tackle violence against women, thanks to specific mandates to address the problem, tailored training and a growing cadre of female peacekeepers who bring their unique skills.

“Preventing violence against women is important because this violence undermines key elements of successful post-conflict peacebuilding, such as social stability, economic recovery, effective State authority, and overall development,” the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet, told the Commission as it began its session.

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) works closely with a number of partners within the UN family to carry out this mandate, having learned lessons from experiences over the years in places such as Bosnia, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

On the ground, peacekeepers carry out a range of activities to both protect civilians directly, as well as help strengthen frail state institutions such as the national police and judiciary to deal with violence against women. Their efforts range from helping to change discriminatory laws and training national police on responding to gender-based violence to providing ‘safe corridors’ for women to go to market and electricity in some villages so women can move around without fear of being assaulted when it is dark.

In Haiti, the UN Police (UNPOL) helped to implement protection measures in the camps for those displaced by the 2010 earthquake, and has a Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) Team that supports the Haitian National Police. A gender curriculum for national police cadets, and training on SGBV for police investigators have also been developed.

The UN missions in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and DRC are also working to enhance the capacity of national security institutions to respond to gender-based violence, including rape. Prior to winding up its presence in Timor-Leste last December, the UN mission there played a vital role in setting up vulnerable persons units – safe places where people could come to report domestic violence – as well as to getting them incorporated into the Criminal Investigation Service.

A major role is played on the ground by Gender Advisers, whose work includes supporting local women to participate in peace processes, protecting women and girls from sexual violence and engaging women’s voices in legal and judicial procedures. Currently there are eight senior gender advisers in peacekeeping operations.

More recently, Women Protection Advisers have started being deployed with a specific mandate to address conflict-related sexual violence, with the first ones already working with the UN mission in South Sudan. DPKO and its partners are also working on an early warning mechanism to stave off attacks before they happen.

According to the Syrian observatory for Human Rigths (SOHR) a spokesperson of the rebel battalion holding the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) members in the town of al-Jamla said that an agreement had been reached to free the 21 International observers tomorrow (Saturday) morning between 10 a.m and noon.

“A precondition to the release of the hostages is that the area should witness a ceasefire, with regime forces stopping their bombardment. A delegation from the Red Cross and the United Nations will be in the area tomorrow morning,” SOHR said in a statement.

“As of now there is, perhaps, a hope – but I have to be extremely cautious because it is not done yet – but there is the possibility that a ceasefire of a few hours can intervene which will allow for people to be released,” Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, told reporters in New York after a closed-door briefing to the Security Council.

He stressed that if the ceasefire was to happen, there would be a strong expectation that there would be no retaliatory action by the Syrian armed forces over the village and its civilian population.

“Our 21 peacekeepers are detained in the village of Al Jamla. Apparently they are safe and they have been spread into 4 or 5 locations within that village in the basement of various houses,” Ladsous, told reporters in New York.

“That particular village is subject to intense shelling by the Syrian armed forces. Of course we are working 24/7 in the area of operation, with people in the region, and here in the Secretariat, to secure their release under good conditions as quickly as possible.”

On Wednesday, armed elements of the Syrian opposition detained a group of peacekeepers who are part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which monitors the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war.

Mr. Ladsous added that in light of the situation, UNDOF had vacated two positions which were particularly exposed to gunfire, and the way the mission is operating is being examined due to the degraded safety and security conditions.

The United Nations confirmation on Wednesday came in response to videos posted online that purported to show fighters with the seized convoy.

Syrian rebels say they will hold them captive until President Bashar al-Assad’s forces pull back from a rebel-held village, Jamlah, which has seen heavy recent fighting, according to Reuters.

“If no withdrawal is made within 24 hours we will treat them as prisoners,” he said, accusing them of collaborating with security forces to push the rebels out of Jamla.

More than 20 peacekeepers from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) were being held, according to Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the March presidency of the 15-member Council.

“The members of the Security Council demanded the unconditional and immediate release of all the detained UN peacekeepers and called upon all parties to cooperate with UNDOF in good faith to enable it to operate freely and to ensure full security of its personnel,” Mr. Churkin said in a statement read out to the press following closed-door consultations on the matter.

A spokesperson for Security-General Ban Ki-moon said that approximately 30 armed fighters had stopped and detained the peacekeepers within the Area of Limitation, east of the B-Line.

“The UN observers were on a regular supply mission and were stopped near Observation Post 58, which had sustained damage and was evacuated this past weekend following heavy combat in close proximity, at Al Jamlah,” Eduardo del Buey told reporters.

“The mission is dispatching a team to assess the situation and attempt a resolution,” he said.

Peacekeepers serving with UNDOF monitor the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war. In December, the Security Council extended the mission’s mandate for another six months, until 30 June 2013.

Israel has warned that it will not “stand idle” as Syria’s civil war spills over into the Golan region.

Serving with the UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur, known by the acronym UNAMID, the two police personnel – Hasan Al-Mazawdeh and Qasim Al-Sarhan, both Jordanian nationals – had been abducted by unidentified assailants on 20 August last year while on patrol in the town of Kabkabiya, located approximately 140 kilometres west of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

“Both Mr. Al-Mazawdeh and Mr. Al-Sarhan appear to be unharmed and in good health. They will be flown to Khartoum and back to their home country as soon as possible,” UNAMID said in a news release.

According to the release, the peacekeeping mission’s head, the Secretary-General’s Acting Joint Special Representative, Aichatou Mindaoudou, expressed UNAMID’s thanks to the Government of Sudan, the governor of North Darfur and the Government of Jordan for their “valuable” assistance in obtaining the safe release of the peacekeepers.

In addition, UNAMID is calling on the Government of Sudan to investigate the kidnapping and find those responsible.

In a statement, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the UN chief is “deeply gratified” over the release of the two UN staff members, and commends the efforts of UNAMID and the Governments of Sudan and Jordan in securing their release.

“He underscores the importance of the peacekeeping and humanitarian work in Darfur and calls on the Government to fully investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said.

He added that Secretary-General Ban also reiterates that the “primary responsibility” for the safety and security of all of UNAMID’s peacekeeping personnel and the humanitarian community in Darfur lies with the Sudanese Government.

Established in July 2007, UNAMID has the protection of civilians as its core mandate. In addition, the peacekeeping operation is tasked with other responsibilities, such as facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and assisting with an inclusive peace process in Darfur, where fighting broke out nine years ago, pitting Government forces and allied militiamen against rebel groups.