A unmanned attack hit a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeepers, per a announcement.
The strike occurred at a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
Eight other peacekeepers were injured in the assault. Each of the those affected are Bangladeshi nationals, part of the United Nations mission in Abyei.
“Assaults targeting United Nations peacekeepers could be violations of international law under global statutes,” the statement said, demanding the culprits for the “inexcusable” strike to be brought to justice.
Military Points Finger at Fighter Faction
The Sudanese military attributed the incident on the RSF fighters, a well-known armed faction that has been fighting with the government troops for control of the country for since April 2023.
The strike “clearly reveals the subversive approach of the paramilitary group and its backers,” the military said in a communication.
Background of the Contested Region
The resource-abundant Abyei is a claimed territory between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the United Nations contingent has been stationed there since 2011, when South Sudan seceded from Sudan.
Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a broad, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process” to settle the fighting.
Nation Plunged into Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was thrown into widespread violence in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the military and the RSF turned into direct clashes in the city of Khartoum and other parts the country.
- The fighting has taken over 40,000 lives, a toll human rights organizations consider a significant undercount.
- Recent hostilities has focused on Kordofan, particularly since paramilitary forces seized El Fasher.
- The war has wrecked towns and has been noted for grave abuses, like mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These acts have been described as crimes against humanity by global observers.
- The situation has also precipitated the planet's most severe humanitarian emergency and driven parts of the country into starvation.
