Unmanned Strike on UN Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims Six Peacekeepers

A drone strike targeted a UN logistics base in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, leading to the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, per a declaration.

The strike impacted a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.

8 other peacekeepers were injured in the assault. All the those affected are citizens of Bangladesh, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

“Assaults targeting UN personnel may constitute international crimes under global statutes,” the statement said, calling for those responsible for the “unjustifiable” attack to be brought to justice.

Military Accuses Paramilitary Group

The government forces assigned responsibility for the attack on the paramilitary RSF group, a prominent militia that has been fighting with the military for control of the country for more than two years.

The strike “clearly reveals the destructive approach of the paramilitary group and its supporters,” the army said in a release.

Background of the Disputed Region

The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed region between Sudan and South Sudan, and the peacekeeping force has been operating there since 2011, when South Sudan seceded from Sudan.

Calls for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, inclusive and nationally led dialogue” to settle the war.

Country Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in open war in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the army and the RSF turned into open fighting in the national capital and other parts the country.

• The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, a number advocates regard as a major underestimate.
• Recent combat has centred on Kordofan, particularly since the RSF took control of El Fasher.
• The crisis has destroyed towns and has been characterized by grave abuses, like widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity.
• These crimes have been called international crimes by the UN and rights groups.
• The situation has also caused the globe's most dire humanitarian emergency and forced parts of the country into starvation.