Aerial Strike on UN Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Kills 6 Peacekeepers

A drone strike hit a UN compound in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeepers, as stated by a declaration.

The incident targeted a UN outpost in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

8 additional personnel were hurt in the assault. All the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the UN peacekeeping contingent in Abyei.

“Assaults targeting UN personnel could amount to violations of international law under international law,” the statement said, demanding those responsible for the “unacceptable” attack to be held accountable.

Military Points Finger at Paramilitary Faction

The Sudanese military blamed the strike on the RSF fighters, a notorious paramilitary group that has been fighting with the military for power in the country for more than two years.

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

Context of the Disputed Region

The resource-abundant Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations contingent has been deployed there since 2011, when the south gained its independence from Sudan.

Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a broad, inclusive and Sudanese-owned peace process” to resolve the conflict.

Nation Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF turned into full-scale combat in the city of Khartoum and elsewhere the country.

• The war has killed more than 40,000 people, a number rights groups regard as a low estimate.
• Recent fighting has focused on Kordofan, particularly since the RSF captured El Fasher.
• The crisis has devastated cities and has been marked by grave abuses, like systematic rape and ethnically motivated killings.
• These actions have been described as international crimes by global observers.
• The conflict has also precipitated the planet's most severe humanitarian disaster and driven parts of the country into starvation.