Unmanned Attack on United Nations Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Leaves Six UN Personnel

A aerial bombardment targeted a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the demise of six peacekeeping personnel, per a statement.

The strike impacted a UN facility in the city of Kadugli, located in the central region of Kordofan.

Eight other peacekeepers were hurt in the assault. Each of the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the United Nations mission in Abyei.

“Assaults against UN peacekeepers could be international crimes under global statutes,” officials stated, urging those responsible for the “inexcusable” strike to be prosecuted.

Army Accuses Fighter Group

The national army blamed the strike on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a well-known militia that has been at war with the military for power in the country for since April 2023.

The attack “clearly reveals the subversive approach of the paramilitary group and its backers,” the army said in a statement.

Context of the Contested Area

The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.

Appeals for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, inclusive and nationally led peace process” to resolve the war.

Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF escalated into full-scale combat in the city of Khartoum and across the country.

• The war has claimed more than 40,000 people, a toll rights groups regard as a low estimate.
• Recent fighting has focused on Kordofan, particularly since fighters took control of El Fasher.
• The crisis has devastated towns and has been marked by atrocities, including widespread sexual violence and killings based on ethnicity.
• These acts have been labeled international crimes by global observers.
• The situation has also caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and pushed parts of the country into famine.