Aerial Assault on United Nations Facility in War-Torn Sudan Claims 6 UN Personnel
A unmanned attack targeted a United Nations compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the demise of six UN soldiers, according to a declaration.
The strike occurred at a peacekeeping outpost in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
8 additional soldiers were hurt in the assault. All the casualties are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).
“Strikes aimed at United Nations personnel could amount to war crimes under global statutes,” officials stated, urging the culprits for the “inexcusable” attack to be held accountable.
Military Accuses Fighter Faction
The government forces attributed the strike on the RSF fighters, a well-known militia that has been at war with the army for control of the country for since April 2023.
The attack “demonstrates the destructive nature of the armed faction and its supporters,” the army said in a communication.
Context of the Contested Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a contested area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the United Nations contingent has been deployed there since 2011, when the south gained its independence from Sudan.
Appeals for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a comprehensive, all-encompassing and nationally led political process” to address the war.
Nation Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was thrown into open war in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF exploded into direct clashes in the national capital and other parts the country.
- The war has killed over 40,000 lives, a number rights groups regard as a major underestimate.
- Recent hostilities has centred on Kordofan, notably since fighters took control of El Fasher.
- The war has devastated towns and has been marked by horrors, including systematic rape and ethnic slaughter.
- These crimes have been called war crimes by the UN and rights groups.
- The conflict has also created the globe's most dire humanitarian disaster and forced parts of the country into famine.