Drone Strike on United Nations Base in War-Torn Sudan Leaves Six Peacekeepers

A aerial bombardment targeted a UN facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, leading to the loss of six peacekeeping personnel, as stated by a statement.

The strike occurred at a UN logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

8 other personnel were hurt in the strike. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the United Nations mission in Abyei.

“Attacks aimed at United Nations personnel could amount to international crimes under international law,” officials stated, demanding those responsible for the “inexcusable” strike to be prosecuted.

Army Accuses Fighter Faction

The government forces blamed the attack on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious militia that has been at war with the government troops for power in the country for over 24 months.

The attack “clearly reveals the rebellious nature of the armed faction and those behind it,” the army said in a release.

Context of the Contested Region

The resource-abundant Abyei is a disputed territory between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the peacekeeping force has been deployed there since 2011, when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.

Demands for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also issued to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and Sudanese-owned political process” to address the conflict.

Nation Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was thrown into widespread violence in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the army and the RSF turned into open fighting in the national capital and across the country.

• The conflict has claimed over 40,000 lives, a toll human rights organizations believe a significant undercount.
• Recent combat has centred on Kordofan, especially since fighters captured El Fasher.
• The war has wrecked urban areas and has been noted for atrocities, including systematic rape and ethnic slaughter.
• These crimes have been described as crimes against humanity by global observers.
• The conflict has also caused the globe's most dire humanitarian disaster and forced parts of the country into starvation.