Aerial Attack on United Nations Facility in War-Torn Sudan Leaves Six UN Personnel

A drone strike struck a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six UN soldiers, per a declaration.

The strike occurred at a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

Eight other soldiers were wounded in the attack. All the those affected are Bangladeshi nationals, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

“Attacks aimed at UN personnel may constitute international crimes under international law,” it was declared, demanding the culprits for the “unjustifiable” strike to be brought to justice.

Military Blames Fighter Faction

The Sudanese military blamed the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a well-known armed faction that has been at war with the government troops for power in the country for more than two years.

The strike “demonstrates the rebellious nature of the armed faction and those behind it,” the military said in a communication.

Context of the Disputed Region

The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been operating there since 2011, when South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan.

Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also made to allow “a wide-ranging, inclusive and nationally led peace process” to settle the conflict.

Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in chaos in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the army and the RSF exploded into direct clashes in the capital, Khartoum and across the country.

• The war has claimed over 40,000 lives, a toll rights groups believe a significant undercount.
• Recent fighting has focused on Kordofan, especially since paramilitary forces seized El Fasher.
• The crisis has devastated towns and has been characterized by atrocities, including systematic rape and ethnically motivated killings.
• These crimes have been described as international crimes by international bodies.
• The situation has also created the planet's most severe humanitarian emergency and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.