Drone Strike on United Nations Facility in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Leaves Six UN Personnel

A unmanned attack targeted a United Nations logistics base in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, leading to the loss of six peacekeeping personnel, as stated by a announcement.

The strike impacted a peacekeeping facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.

Eight additional personnel were wounded in the attack. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the United Nations mission in Abyei.

“Assaults aimed at United Nations personnel may constitute international crimes under global statutes,” officials stated, urging the perpetrators for the “inexcusable” strike to be brought to justice.

Army Blames Fighter Group

The Sudanese military blamed the incident on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a well-known armed faction that has been fighting with the military for control of the country for more than two years.

The attack “demonstrates the destructive approach of the paramilitary group and its supporters,” the army said in a statement.

Context of the Contested Area

The oil-rich Abyei is a contested region between Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations contingent has been stationed there since 2011, when South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan.

Calls for an swift truce in Sudan were also made to allow “a comprehensive, inclusive and nationally led political process” to address the fighting.

Country Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was thrown into chaos in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the military and the RSF exploded into direct clashes in the capital, Khartoum and other parts the country.

• The fighting has claimed more than 40,000 people, a number rights groups believe a major underestimate.
• Recent fighting has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since fighters took control of El Fasher.
• The conflict has wrecked towns and has been noted for atrocities, like mass rape and ethnic slaughter.
• These acts have been labeled international crimes by international bodies.
• The conflict has also precipitated the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.