Aerial Strike on UN Compound in War-Torn Sudan Claims 6 UN Personnel
A unmanned attack hit a United Nations logistics base in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, leading to the deaths of six peacekeeping personnel, according to a announcement.
The attack occurred at a UN logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
Eight other peacekeepers were hurt in the strike. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Assaults targeting United Nations peacekeepers could be violations of international law under international law,” officials stated, urging the perpetrators for the “unjustifiable” attack to be prosecuted.
Military Accuses Fighter Group
The government forces attributed the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious paramilitary group that has been engaged in conflict with the government troops for control of the country for since April 2023.
The strike “shows the rebellious nature of the armed faction and those behind it,” the army said in a statement.
Background of the Disputed Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the peacekeeping force has been operating there since 2011, when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.
Appeals for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, inclusive and locally driven dialogue” to address the conflict.
Nation Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was engulfed in open war in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the military and the RSF exploded into full-scale combat in the city of Khartoum and across the country.
- The war has claimed over 40,000 lives, a number rights groups consider a low estimate.
- Recent fighting has focused on Kordofan, especially since fighters captured El Fasher.
- The conflict has devastated cities and has been marked by horrors, like widespread sexual violence and ethnically motivated killings.
- These acts have been called international crimes by international bodies.
- The war has also created the planet's most severe humanitarian crisis and pushed parts of the country into starvation.
