Unmanned Assault on UN Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills Six Peacekeepers
A aerial bombardment struck a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, leading to the deaths of six peacekeepers, as stated by a statement.
The strike occurred at a UN facility in the city of Kadugli, located in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight additional soldiers were injured in the attack. All the those affected are from Bangladesh, part of the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).
“Strikes against UN personnel may constitute international crimes under global statutes,” it was declared, demanding those responsible for the “inexcusable” attack to be held accountable.
Army Accuses Paramilitary Group
The national army blamed the attack on the RSF fighters, a prominent militia that has been engaged in conflict with the army for control of the country for more than two years.
The strike “shows the destructive nature of the rebel militia and those behind it,” the army said in a release.
Context of the Contested Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed region between Sudan and South Sudan, and the peacekeeping force has been deployed there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.
Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also made to allow “a comprehensive, all-encompassing and Sudanese-owned political process” to settle the conflict.
Country Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the military and the RSF escalated into open fighting in the national capital and across the country.
- The war has taken over 40,000 lives, a figure human rights organizations believe a significant undercount.
- Recent fighting has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since the RSF seized El Fasher.
- The crisis has wrecked cities and has been noted for atrocities, including mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These crimes have been called crimes against humanity by global observers.
- The situation has also precipitated the planet's most severe humanitarian disaster and forced parts of the country into extreme hunger.
