Drone Assault on United Nations Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills Six Peacekeepers
A unmanned attack targeted a United Nations facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, leading to the loss of six peacekeeping personnel, according to a announcement.
The strike impacted a UN outpost in the city of Kadugli, situated in the central region of Kordofan.
8 additional personnel were wounded in the attack. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, serving in the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Strikes targeting UN personnel could amount to war crimes under global statutes,” the statement said, urging the perpetrators for the “unacceptable” strike to be prosecuted.
Military Accuses Paramilitary Group
The government forces attributed the incident on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a notorious militia that has been fighting with the government troops for control of the country for since April 2023.
The attack “demonstrates the destructive nature of the armed faction and those behind it,” the army said in a communication.
Context of the Contested Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed territory between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the peacekeeping force has been deployed there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.
Calls for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and nationally led peace process” to resolve the fighting.
Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into widespread violence in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the military and the RSF turned into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere the country.
- The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 people, a figure advocates believe a major underestimate.
- Recent combat has been concentrated in Kordofan, especially since paramilitary forces captured El Fasher.
- The conflict has destroyed urban areas and has been noted for atrocities, like mass rape and ethnically motivated killings.
- These acts have been labeled international crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The war has also caused the world’s worst humanitarian emergency and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.
