Drone Assault on United Nations Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims Six UN Personnel
A aerial bombardment struck a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, leading to the demise of six peacekeepers, per a announcement.
The strike occurred at a UN outpost in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
Eight additional peacekeepers were hurt in the attack. All the casualties are Bangladeshi nationals, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Attacks aimed at United Nations personnel could amount to international crimes under global statutes,” officials stated, urging the culprits for the “unjustifiable” strike to be held accountable.
Army Points Finger at Fighter Faction
The government forces assigned responsibility for the incident on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a well-known paramilitary group that has been engaged in conflict with the government troops for control of the country for over 24 months.
The strike “demonstrates the destructive approach of the rebel militia and those behind it,” the military said in a statement.
Context of the Disputed Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed region between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when the south seceded from Sudan.
Appeals for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and locally driven peace process” to resolve the war.
Nation Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was engulfed in open war in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the military and the RSF turned into direct clashes in the city of Khartoum and across the country.
- The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 people, a figure rights groups consider a significant undercount.
- Recent combat has centred on Kordofan, especially since paramilitary forces captured El Fasher.
- The conflict has destroyed urban areas and has been marked by grave abuses, including systematic rape and ethnic slaughter.
- These acts have been described as international crimes by global observers.
- The conflict has also caused the globe's most dire humanitarian emergency and pushed parts of the country into famine.
