Drone Attack on UN Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Leaves 6 Peacekeepers

A unmanned attack targeted a UN compound in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the demise of six UN soldiers, as stated by a statement.

The attack occurred at a UN outpost in the city of Kadugli, situated in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

Eight other peacekeepers were hurt in the assault. All the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.

“Attacks aimed at UN peacekeepers could be international crimes under international law,” officials stated, calling for those responsible for the “inexcusable” attack to be held accountable.

Military Blames Paramilitary Group

The government forces attributed the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a well-known armed faction that has been at war with the army for power in the country for over 24 months.

The strike “clearly reveals the destructive nature of the rebel militia and those behind it,” the military said in a release.

Context of the Disputed Region

The resource-abundant Abyei is a disputed region between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the United Nations contingent has been stationed there since 2011, when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.

Demands for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and nationally led political process” to address the conflict.

Country Plunged into Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in open war in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF exploded into direct clashes in the capital, Khartoum and across the country.

• The war has taken over 40,000 lives, a number advocates believe a significant undercount.
• Recent hostilities has focused on Kordofan, particularly since paramilitary forces took control of El Fasher.
• The crisis has wrecked cities and has been characterized by grave abuses, such as mass rape and ethnic slaughter.
• These actions have been labeled crimes against humanity by global observers.
• The situation has also caused the planet's most severe humanitarian crisis and driven parts of the country into starvation.