Aerial Assault on UN Base in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Leaves Six Peacekeepers

A aerial bombardment targeted a United Nations compound in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeepers, according to a announcement.

The incident occurred at a UN logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the mid-country region of Kordofan.

8 other soldiers were injured in the attack. Each of the casualties are citizens of Bangladesh, deployed with the UN interim security force for Abyei (Unisfa).

“Strikes against UN peacekeepers could amount to violations of international law under international law,” it was declared, calling for those responsible for the “unjustifiable” strike to be prosecuted.

Military Points Finger at Paramilitary Faction

The Sudanese military blamed the incident on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a well-known paramilitary group that has been fighting with the army for power in the country for over 24 months.

The strike “shows the rebellious nature of the paramilitary group and those behind it,” the army said in a communication.

Background of the Disputed Region

The resource-abundant Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and its southern neighbor, and the UN mission has been deployed there since 2011, when South Sudan became independent from Sudan.

Calls for an swift truce in Sudan were also issued to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and locally driven political process” to resolve the fighting.

Country Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in widespread violence in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF exploded into direct clashes in the capital, Khartoum and other parts the country.

• The war has taken more than 40,000 people, a toll rights groups consider a low estimate.
• Recent hostilities has focused on Kordofan, especially since the RSF took control of El Fasher.
• The crisis has devastated towns and has been characterized by grave abuses, like mass rape and killings based on ethnicity.
• These acts have been labeled crimes against humanity by global observers.
• The war has also created the planet's most severe humanitarian crisis and forced parts of the country into starvation.