Unmanned Assault on United Nations Base in War-Torn Sudan Leaves 6 Peacekeepers
A unmanned attack targeted a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the loss of six peacekeeping personnel, as stated by a statement.
The strike targeted a UN logistics base in the city of Kadugli, found in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
8 other soldiers were injured in the attack. Each of the victims are from Bangladesh, part of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.
“Attacks aimed at United Nations peacekeepers could amount to international crimes under global statutes,” the statement said, demanding those responsible for the “unacceptable” strike to be held accountable.
Army Blames Paramilitary Group
The government forces attributed the strike on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a prominent armed faction that has been fighting with the military for control of the country for over 24 months.
The attack “clearly reveals the subversive tactics of the paramilitary group and those behind it,” the military said in a communication.
Context of the Contested Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the United Nations contingent has been operating there since 2011, when the south gained its independence from Sudan.
Demands for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and nationally led dialogue” to resolve the fighting.
Country Plunged into Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF escalated into full-scale combat in the national capital and elsewhere the country.
- The conflict has taken more than 40,000 people, a toll human rights organizations believe a significant undercount.
- Recent hostilities has been concentrated in Kordofan, notably since fighters seized El Fasher.
- The crisis has devastated cities and has been noted for grave abuses, such as systematic rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These crimes have been called crimes against humanity by global observers.
- The conflict has also created the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and forced parts of the country into starvation.
