Aerial Assault on UN Facility in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills 6 UN Personnel
A drone strike struck a UN facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, leading to the loss of six peacekeepers, per a declaration.
The incident occurred at a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight additional soldiers were hurt in the strike. All the victims are from Bangladesh, part of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Assaults aimed at United Nations peacekeepers could amount to war crimes under international law,” it was declared, demanding those responsible for the “inexcusable” attack to be held accountable.
Military Blames Paramilitary Faction
The government forces attributed the attack on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a notorious armed faction that has been fighting with the army for dominance over the country for over 24 months.
The attack “demonstrates the destructive tactics of the paramilitary group and those behind it,” the military said in a statement.
Background of the Contested Area
The resource-abundant Abyei is a claimed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been stationed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.
Appeals for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a comprehensive, inclusive and locally driven peace process” to address the conflict.
Country Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into widespread violence in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the military and the RSF exploded into full-scale combat in the capital, Khartoum and across the country.
- The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, a number advocates regard as a low estimate.
- Recent hostilities has focused on Kordofan, especially since fighters captured El Fasher.
- The crisis has devastated towns and has been marked by atrocities, like mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These actions have been called international crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The conflict has also precipitated the globe's most dire humanitarian crisis and driven parts of the country into extreme hunger.
