Unmanned Assault on United Nations Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims 6 Peacekeepers

A unmanned attack hit a UN 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, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

Eight additional soldiers were wounded in the assault. All the victims are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.

“Attacks targeting UN personnel could amount to international crimes under international law,” it was declared, calling for the perpetrators for the “unacceptable” attack to be held accountable.

Army Points Finger at Paramilitary Group

The Sudanese military assigned responsibility for the strike on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a notorious paramilitary group that has been at war with the military for power in the country for over 24 months.

The attack “demonstrates the rebellious approach of the rebel militia and its supporters,” the military said in a communication.

Context of the Contested Region

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

Appeals for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also made to allow “a comprehensive, all-encompassing and nationally led peace process” to resolve the fighting.

Country Plunged into Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was thrown into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF turned into direct clashes in the city of Khartoum and elsewhere the country.

• The conflict has killed more than 40,000 people, a figure human rights organizations regard as a low estimate.
• Recent combat has been concentrated in Kordofan, notably since fighters took control of El Fasher.
• The war has wrecked towns and has been marked by grave abuses, such as systematic rape and killings based on ethnicity.
• These actions have been called international crimes by international bodies.
• The situation has also caused the globe's most dire humanitarian disaster and forced parts of the country into extreme hunger.