Unmanned Strike on United Nations Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills 6 UN Personnel
A drone strike targeted a United Nations compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the demise of six peacekeeping personnel, per a announcement.
The incident impacted a UN outpost in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
8 additional soldiers were wounded in the attack. All the those affected are citizens of Bangladesh, serving in the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Assaults targeting United Nations peacekeepers could amount to war crimes under international law,” officials stated, demanding the perpetrators for the “unacceptable” strike to be held accountable.
Army Blames Fighter Group
The government forces attributed the incident on the RSF fighters, a well-known armed faction that has been fighting with the army for dominance over the country for over 24 months.
The attack “clearly reveals the subversive nature of the paramilitary group and its supporters,” the military said in a statement.
Background of the Disputed Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a contested territory between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when South Sudan gained its independence 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 settle the conflict.
Country Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was engulfed in chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF escalated into direct clashes in the city of Khartoum and other parts the country.
- The fighting has claimed over 40,000 lives, a number human rights organizations consider a low estimate.
- Recent fighting has centred on Kordofan, notably since fighters captured El Fasher.
- The crisis has devastated towns and has been noted for horrors, like mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These acts have been called war crimes by international bodies.
- The conflict has also caused the world’s worst humanitarian emergency and driven parts of the country into famine.