Drone Assault on UN Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills 6 UN Personnel

A unmanned attack targeted a United Nations logistics base in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeepers, per a statement.

The strike impacted a UN logistics base in the city of Kadugli, situated in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

8 other soldiers were wounded in the strike. Each of the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the United Nations mission in Abyei.

“Assaults against United Nations personnel could amount to international crimes under international law,” the statement said, calling for the perpetrators for the “unacceptable” strike to be brought to justice.

Military Blames Fighter Faction

The national army assigned responsibility for the strike on the paramilitary RSF group, a prominent militia that has been at war with the government troops for dominance over the country for more than two years.

The attack “clearly reveals the rebellious approach of the armed faction and its backers,” the army said in a communication.

Background 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 South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan.

Appeals for an swift truce in Sudan were also made to allow “a wide-ranging, inclusive and locally driven dialogue” to address the conflict.

Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was plunged into open war in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the military and the RSF turned into open fighting in the national capital and other parts the country.

• The war has killed more than 40,000 people, a figure human rights organizations consider a significant undercount.
• Recent hostilities has been concentrated in Kordofan, especially since fighters captured El Fasher.
• The conflict has wrecked urban areas and has been marked by atrocities, such as mass rape and ethnically motivated killings.
• These actions have been described as war crimes by global observers.
• The conflict has also caused the globe's most dire humanitarian emergency and pushed parts of the country into starvation.