Indian peacekeepers prevented more casualties in S Sudan: UN official

December 22, 2013

Indian_peacekeepers

United Nations, Dec 22: The bravery of 43 Indian peacekeepers stationed at a UN base in South Sudan, which was attacked by about 2,000 rebels this week, prevented more casualties, a top UN official said as she lauded the dedication shown by Indian troops in peacekeeping missions.

Two Indian soldiers Warrant Officers Dharmesh Sangwan and Kumar Pal Singh were killed in the December 19 attack on the UN base in the Jonglei state town of Akobo in South Sudan.

A third soldier Indian Battalion Warrant Officer Mondal Shabul was wounded in the chest during the attack and was flown to Malakal where he was?reported to be in stable condition.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) held a memorial ceremony in Juba yesterday for the two Indian Battalion peacekeepers killed in the attack.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for South Sudan Hilde Johnson paid tribute to Sangwan and Singh as "brave and courageous soldiers"?and extended her condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen peacekeepers.

"As a mission, we are inspired by the dedication shown by the Indian troops," said Johnson, who laid wreaths on the coffins of the slain peacekeepers during the ceremony which was held at the Mission's compound adjacent to Juba International Airport.

"Had it not been for their bravery, the death toll at the (UNMISS base) could have been higher."

Johnson cited the press statement of the Security Council which condemned the attack in the strongest terms and called on the Government of South Sudan to swiftly investigate the incident.

She also emphasised the resolve of the peacekeeping mission to carry out its mandate to support South Sudan and help protect its people.

"This horrendous act...Will not stop us from carrying out our work," she said.

"To anyone who wants to threaten us, attack us or put obstacles in our way, our message remains loud and clear: we will not be intimidated."

South Sudan's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Barnaba Marial Benjamin reaffirmed his government's commitment to fully investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

"The people of South Sudan deeply regret the irresponsible and cowardly act that has led to the loss of life of these great soldiers," Benjamin said.

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News Network
January 31,2026

trumpkill.jpg

The US Department of Justice has released millions of new documents linked to the case of convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, before removing some pages that contained complaints mentioning President Donald Trump.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that approximately 3.5 million files were published to comply with the Epstein Transparency Act, following criticism that the administration had missed a December 19 deadline set by Congress.

The documents include FBI communications and complaints submitted as tips, some of which list comments mentioning Trump and others who had social or professional ties to Epstein.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to his past association with Epstein.

Pages removed from DOJ website

After their publication, pages containing complaints that mentioned Trump were removed from the DOJ website and now return a “page not found” message. Copies of the documents, however, have circulated widely on social media. CNN anchor Jake Tapper was among those who publicly noted that the pages had been taken down.

One complaint, filed by a friend of a victim, says Trump forced a girl aged 13–14 to perform “oral sex” approximately 35 years ago in New Jersey. The document states that an investigator was sent to Washington to conduct an interview.

Another complaint says Trump regularly paid an individual to perform sexual acts and adds that he was present when her newborn child was murdered by a relative. The paperwork notes that there was “no contact made” with the complainant.

A separate complaint, which provided no contact information, said “calendar girls” parties at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago involved children and sexual abuse. The document also names several public figures as present at such events.

In another account, a complainant said they witnessed a “sex trafficking ring” at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in the mid-1990s. The person noted “threats” from Trump’s head of security if she spoke publicly about what she had seen.

Other figures mentioned in the files

The latest release also includes a draft email Epstein wrote to himself in 2013, referring to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In the message, Epstein said Gates asked him to delete emails and referenced “personal matters.”

The DOJ has not provided a detailed explanation for why certain pages were removed after publication. The department said the document release was ongoing.

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