Egypt sends 78 more peacekeepers to Darfur

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Egypt on Sunday dispatched 78 troops to join African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, three days after one of its officers was killed in in the war-torn Sudanese region, Egyptian officials said. The group was flown directly to Darfur, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. An Egyptian peacekeeper who was among a small group of reinforcements sent to Darfur was shot to death at his residence late Friday. The death of Lt. Col. Ehab Nazir marked Egypt's first casualty since it sent a small contingent of peacekeepers to the troubled region. Gunmen shot the Egyptian officer in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, and looted his home. His body was flown back to Egypt on Sunday.