Unmanned Assault on United Nations Facility in War-Torn Sudan Kills 6 Peacekeepers
A aerial bombardment hit a UN facility in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the demise of six peacekeeping personnel, according to a announcement.
The incident impacted a peacekeeping outpost in the city of Kadugli, situated in the mid-country region of Kordofan.
Eight other personnel were wounded in the strike. All the those affected are Bangladeshi nationals, part of the United Nations mission in Abyei.
“Strikes aimed at UN peacekeepers could amount to war crimes under international law,” it was declared, urging the perpetrators for the “unacceptable” strike to be prosecuted.
Army Accuses Fighter Faction
The national army assigned responsibility for the incident on the paramilitary RSF group, a prominent militia that has been engaged in conflict with the military for dominance over the country for over 24 months.
The attack “clearly reveals the subversive nature of the rebel militia and its supporters,” the military said in a release.
Background of the Contested Area
The oil-rich Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations contingent has been deployed there since 2011, when the south became independent from Sudan.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a broad, inclusive and Sudanese-owned peace process” to settle the war.
Country Engulfed in Chaos Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into chaos in April 2023 when a dispute for control between the army and the RSF exploded into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum and across the country.
- The conflict has taken over 40,000 lives, a toll rights groups consider a major underestimate.
- Recent combat has been concentrated in Kordofan, especially since fighters captured El Fasher.
- The conflict has destroyed cities and has been characterized by horrors, like mass rape and ethnic slaughter.
- These acts have been described as crimes against humanity by international bodies.
- The conflict has also caused the planet's most severe humanitarian emergency and pushed parts of the country into extreme hunger.
