Unmanned Attack on UN Facility in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills 6 Peacekeepers

A drone strike targeted a United Nations compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the deaths of six peacekeepers, per a declaration.

The attack occurred at a UN outpost in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.

Eight additional personnel were injured in the attack. All the those affected are Bangladeshi nationals, part of the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

“Attacks targeting UN personnel could amount to international crimes under global statutes,” the statement said, calling for the culprits for the “inexcusable” attack to be prosecuted.

Military Points Finger at Fighter Group

The government forces assigned responsibility for the attack on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious armed faction that has been fighting with the government troops for control of the country for more than two years.

The strike “demonstrates the rebellious tactics of the rebel militia and those behind it,” the army said in a statement.

Background of the Contested Region

The oil-rich Abyei is a contested area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been stationed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.

Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a broad, inclusive and locally driven peace process” to resolve the fighting.

Country Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in open war in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into full-scale combat in the city of Khartoum and elsewhere the country.

• The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, a figure advocates regard as a low estimate.
• Recent hostilities has centred on Kordofan, especially since paramilitary forces took control of El Fasher.
• The war has wrecked cities and has been characterized by horrors, like mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
• These acts have been described as international crimes by international bodies.
• The conflict has also precipitated the world’s worst humanitarian emergency and pushed parts of the country into starvation.