Aerial Attack on UN Facility in War-Torn Sudan Claims 6 UN Personnel

A drone strike targeted a United Nations compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, as stated by a statement.

The attack impacted a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

8 additional personnel were injured in the assault. Each of the victims are from Bangladesh, part of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.

“Assaults against UN personnel could amount to international crimes under international law,” officials stated, demanding those responsible for the “unacceptable” attack to be held accountable.

Military Blames Paramilitary Group

The government forces attributed the incident on the RSF fighters, a notorious paramilitary group that has been at war with the military for control of the country for more than two years.

The strike “shows the rebellious approach of the rebel militia and its backers,” the army said in a statement.

Context of the Disputed Region

The resource-abundant Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations contingent has been stationed there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.

Appeals for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a comprehensive, inclusive and nationally led dialogue” to address the war.

Country Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was plunged into widespread violence in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the military and the RSF exploded into full-scale combat in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere the country.

• The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, a toll rights groups consider a low estimate.
• Recent hostilities has been concentrated in Kordofan, notably since the RSF captured El Fasher.
• The conflict has wrecked towns and has been marked by atrocities, such as widespread sexual violence and ethnically motivated killings.
• These actions have been described as war crimes by international bodies.
• The war has also precipitated the globe's most dire humanitarian disaster and forced parts of the country into extreme hunger.