Unmanned Attack on UN Base in War-Torn Sudan Leaves Six Peacekeepers
A drone strike targeted a United Nations compound in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the demise of six UN soldiers, as stated by a announcement.
The strike targeted a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, found in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
Eight other peacekeepers were hurt in the assault. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, part of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Attacks aimed at United Nations personnel could be international crimes under international law,” it was declared, urging those responsible for the “unjustifiable” strike to be prosecuted.
Army Accuses Fighter Faction
The Sudanese military attributed the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a prominent armed faction that has been fighting with the government troops for power in the country for over 24 months.
The strike “demonstrates the rebellious approach of the paramilitary group and its backers,” the army said in a communication.
Context of the Contested Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations contingent has been deployed there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.
Demands for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a wide-ranging, all-encompassing and locally driven peace process” to resolve the fighting.
Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the military and the RSF turned into direct clashes in the national capital and other parts the country.
- The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 people, a toll rights groups consider a low estimate.
- Recent combat has focused on Kordofan, particularly since paramilitary forces seized El Fasher.
- The conflict has destroyed towns and has been characterized by grave abuses, like widespread sexual violence and ethnically motivated killings.
- These acts have been called crimes against humanity by global observers.
- The war has also created the globe's most dire humanitarian crisis and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.
