Unmanned Attack on United Nations Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims 6 UN Personnel
A drone strike hit a UN compound in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, causing the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, per a declaration.
The attack impacted a peacekeeping facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
8 additional peacekeepers were hurt in the attack. All the casualties are from Bangladesh, serving in the United Nations mission in Abyei.
“Assaults targeting United Nations personnel could be international crimes under global statutes,” officials stated, demanding the perpetrators for the “unacceptable” attack to be held accountable.
Military Accuses Paramilitary Faction
The government forces assigned responsibility for the incident on the paramilitary RSF group, a well-known armed faction that has been engaged in conflict with the military for control of the country for over 24 months.
The attack “demonstrates the subversive nature of the armed faction and those behind it,” the military said in a release.
Background of the Disputed Region
The resource-abundant Abyei is a disputed region between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the peacekeeping force has been operating there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.
Calls for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a comprehensive, all-encompassing and nationally led peace process” to settle the conflict.
Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the military and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the national capital and elsewhere the country.
- The fighting has taken more than 40,000 people, a figure advocates consider a low estimate.
- Recent fighting has centred on Kordofan, particularly since the RSF captured El Fasher.
- The crisis has destroyed cities and has been marked by grave abuses, like systematic rape and ethnically motivated killings.
- These acts have been described as international crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The war has also caused the globe's most dire humanitarian crisis and driven parts of the country into famine.
