Drone Strike on United Nations Facility in War-Torn Sudan Claims Six UN Personnel
A drone strike targeted a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the loss of six peacekeepers, according to a announcement.
The incident impacted a peacekeeping outpost in the city of Kadugli, located in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike. All the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).
“Attacks against United Nations personnel could amount to international crimes under global statutes,” it was declared, urging those responsible for the “unacceptable” attack to be held accountable.
Army Blames Fighter Group
The national army assigned responsibility for the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious armed faction that has been at war with the military for dominance over the country for since April 2023.
The attack “demonstrates the destructive tactics of the armed faction and its backers,” the military said in a release.
Background of the Disputed Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been operating there since 2011, when South Sudan seceded from Sudan.
Appeals for an swift truce in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a broad, inclusive and Sudanese-owned dialogue” to address the war.
Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the army and the RSF escalated into full-scale combat in the national capital and elsewhere the country.
- The war has claimed tens of thousands, a toll advocates believe a low estimate.
- Recent combat has focused on Kordofan, particularly since paramilitary forces took control of El Fasher.
- The conflict has wrecked cities and has been marked by grave abuses, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings.
- These actions have been labeled international crimes by international bodies.
- The situation has also precipitated the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and pushed parts of the country into starvation.