Unmanned Assault on United Nations Facility in War-Torn Sudan Leaves Six UN Personnel
A drone strike targeted a United Nations compound in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six UN soldiers, per a statement.
The strike targeted a peacekeeping facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
Eight other personnel were injured in the assault. Each of the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Strikes aimed at United Nations personnel could be war crimes under international law,” it was declared, urging those responsible for the “unjustifiable” attack to be held accountable.
Military Points Finger at Fighter Group
The Sudanese military assigned responsibility for the attack on the RSF fighters, a notorious armed faction that has been at war with the military for dominance over the country for more than two years.
The strike “demonstrates the rebellious approach of the paramilitary group and its supporters,” the military said in a statement.
Context of the Disputed Area
The resource-abundant Abyei is a contested region between Sudan and South Sudan, and the peacekeeping force has been operating there since 2011, when South Sudan seceded from Sudan.
Appeals for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and locally driven dialogue” to resolve the conflict.
Nation Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was engulfed in widespread violence in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the army and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the city of Khartoum and other parts the country.
- The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, a number rights groups believe a major underestimate.
- Recent hostilities has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since the RSF seized El Fasher.
- The war has destroyed cities and has been noted for atrocities, such as systematic rape and ethnically motivated killings.
- These crimes have been labeled international crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The situation has also caused the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and pushed parts of the country into famine.
