Unmanned Assault on United Nations Base in War-Torn Sudan Leaves 6 UN Personnel

A aerial bombardment targeted a United Nations logistics base in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, leading to the loss of six UN soldiers, as stated by a announcement.

The attack impacted a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the assault. Each of the victims are from Bangladesh, part of the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

“Assaults targeting United Nations personnel could be international crimes under global statutes,” it was declared, calling for the culprits for the “unacceptable” strike to be brought to justice.

Military Blames Fighter Group

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

The strike “demonstrates the destructive nature of the rebel militia and its supporters,” the army said in a statement.

Context of the Contested Area

The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been operating there since 2011, when the south gained its independence from Sudan.

Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also made to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and locally driven peace process” to address the conflict.

Country Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in widespread violence in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF escalated into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum and other parts the country.

• The war has killed more than 40,000 people, a toll rights groups believe a low estimate.
• Recent combat has been concentrated in Kordofan, especially since paramilitary forces took control of El Fasher.
• The conflict has devastated towns and has been noted for horrors, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings.
• These acts have been labeled crimes against humanity by the UN and rights groups.
• The situation has also caused the planet's most severe humanitarian crisis and driven parts of the country into famine.