A drone strike hit a UN facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, causing the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, as stated by a statement.
The attack occurred at a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the central region of Kordofan.
8 other soldiers were wounded in the attack. Each of the victims are from Bangladesh, serving in the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Strikes aimed at United Nations peacekeepers could be violations of international law under international law,” it was declared, calling for the culprits for the “inexcusable” strike to be prosecuted.
Army Blames Fighter Faction
The Sudanese military blamed the strike on the RSF fighters, a prominent armed faction that has been at war with the government troops for dominance over the country for over 24 months.
The strike “demonstrates the subversive tactics of the armed faction and those behind it,” the military said in a statement.
Background of the Disputed Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.
Demands for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a wide-ranging, inclusive and nationally led dialogue” to settle the fighting.
Country Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was engulfed in open war in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the military and the RSF escalated into direct clashes in the city of Khartoum and other parts the country.
- The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 people, a figure rights groups consider a significant undercount.
- Recent combat has been concentrated in Kordofan, especially since the RSF captured El Fasher.
- The conflict has devastated towns and has been marked by grave abuses, such as systematic rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These actions have been described as crimes against humanity by global observers.
- The conflict has also created the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.
