Drone Attack on United Nations Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Leaves Six UN Personnel
A unmanned attack struck a United Nations logistics base in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, as stated by a announcement.
The strike targeted a UN facility in the city of Kadugli, located in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight additional peacekeepers were hurt in the assault. All the victims are from Bangladesh, part of the United Nations mission in Abyei.
“Assaults against UN personnel may constitute violations of international law under international law,” the statement said, demanding the perpetrators for the “inexcusable” attack to be held accountable.
Military Blames Fighter Faction
The national army blamed the incident on the RSF fighters, a prominent militia that has been at war with the army for power in the country for since April 2023.
The strike “demonstrates the rebellious nature of the rebel militia and its supporters,” the army said in a release.
Context of the Contested Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a contested region between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been stationed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.
Calls for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also issued to allow “a broad, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process” to address the fighting.
Nation Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was thrown into open war in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the army and the RSF turned into full-scale combat in the national capital and elsewhere the country.
- The war has killed over 40,000 lives, a figure advocates consider a significant undercount.
- Recent combat has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since paramilitary forces captured El Fasher.
- The war has destroyed urban areas and has been characterized by grave abuses, like widespread sexual violence and ethnic slaughter.
- These crimes have been described as international crimes by global observers.
- The war has also precipitated the globe's most dire humanitarian disaster and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.
