Drone Attack on UN Compound in War-Torn Sudan Kills Six Peacekeepers
A unmanned attack struck a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the loss of six UN soldiers, according to a statement.
The strike impacted a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, situated in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
8 additional personnel were hurt in the attack. Each of the those affected are citizens of Bangladesh, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Assaults targeting UN peacekeepers could amount to war crimes under global statutes,” it was declared, urging those responsible for the “unjustifiable” strike to be held accountable.
Army Blames Fighter Group
The Sudanese military attributed the attack on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious militia that has been engaged in conflict with the government troops for power in the country for since April 2023.
The attack “shows the destructive nature of the armed faction and its supporters,” the military said in a statement.
Background of the Contested Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the United Nations contingent has been operating there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also issued to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and locally driven dialogue” to resolve the war.
Country Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was thrown into open war in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF escalated into open fighting in the national capital and elsewhere the country.
- The war has killed more than 40,000 people, a toll rights groups believe a low estimate.
- Recent combat has centred on Kordofan, particularly since fighters took control of El Fasher.
- The war has destroyed towns and has been marked by grave abuses, like systematic rape and ethnic slaughter.
- These actions have been labeled international crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The war has also created the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and driven parts of the country into extreme hunger.
