Unmanned Strike on United Nations Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims 6 Peacekeepers
A aerial bombardment targeted a United Nations facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the demise of six UN soldiers, according to a declaration.
The incident impacted a UN facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight other soldiers were wounded in the strike. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).
“Strikes targeting UN personnel may constitute international crimes under international law,” officials stated, calling for those responsible for the “unacceptable” attack to be brought to justice.
Army Points Finger at Paramilitary Group
The Sudanese military blamed the incident on the paramilitary RSF group, a prominent militia that has been engaged in conflict with the army for control of the country for since April 2023.
The strike “demonstrates the destructive nature of the paramilitary group and its backers,” the military said in a statement.
Context of the Disputed Area
The resource-abundant Abyei is a contested region between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.
Calls for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a wide-ranging, inclusive and locally driven peace process” to address the war.
Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was thrown into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF turned into open fighting in the national capital and across the country.
- The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 people, a figure rights groups believe a significant undercount.
- Recent hostilities has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since the RSF took control of El Fasher.
- The conflict has destroyed cities and has been characterized by horrors, including mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These acts have been described as war crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The conflict has also precipitated the planet's most severe humanitarian emergency and driven parts of the country into starvation.
