Drone Attack on UN Facility in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims 6 Peacekeepers

A unmanned attack targeted a United Nations facility in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, leading to the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, according to a statement.

The strike targeted a UN facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.

8 additional peacekeepers were hurt in the attack. All the victims are citizens of Bangladesh, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

“Attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute violations of international law under global statutes,” the statement said, calling for the culprits for the “unacceptable” strike to be brought to justice.

Army Blames Paramilitary Group

The government forces attributed the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious militia that has been fighting with the government troops for control of the country for over 24 months.

The strike “shows the subversive tactics of the rebel militia and its backers,” the army said in a communication.

Context of the Contested Region

The oil-rich Abyei is a contested area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.

Appeals for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a comprehensive, all-encompassing and locally driven political process” to settle the fighting.

Nation Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was thrown into open war in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF turned into full-scale combat in the capital, Khartoum and elsewhere the country.

• The fighting has killed over 40,000 lives, a number human rights organizations consider a low estimate.
• Recent fighting has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since paramilitary forces took control of El Fasher.
• The war has wrecked cities and has been noted for horrors, including systematic rape and ethnic slaughter.
• These crimes have been labeled crimes against humanity by global observers.
• The situation has also created the globe's most dire humanitarian emergency and forced parts of the country into starvation.