Deadly Drone Strike Hits UN Base in Sudan, Six Peacekeepers Killed
A devastating drone strike has targeted a United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in Sudan's war-torn Kadugli, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeepers and injuring eight others. The attack, which occurred on Saturday in the central Kordofan region, drew immediate and strong condemnation from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who stated that such an “unjustifiable” act against UN personnel could be considered a war crime under international law.
All casualties were identified as Bangladeshi nationals serving with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (Unisfa). Guterres has called for swift accountability for those responsible for this egregious assault.
Blame and Ongoing Conflict
The Sudanese military was quick to attribute blame for the attack to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a notorious paramilitary group engaged in a brutal power struggle with the army for control of Sudan for over two years. The military released a video on social media purportedly showing dense black smoke rising from the targeted UN facility, accusing the "rebel militia" of a "subversive approach." The RSF has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
The Unisfa mission has been stationed in Abyei, an oil-rich disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, since 2011, following South Sudan's independence. This latest attack underscores the severe instability plaguing Sudan since April 2023, when clashes between the military and the RSF erupted into widespread conflict, particularly in the capital, Khartoum, and other regions.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The ongoing civil war has had catastrophic consequences, claiming over 40,000 lives – a figure that human rights organizations believe is significantly undercounted. Recent fighting has intensified in Kordofan, especially after the RSF seized El Fasher, the last military stronghold in the western Darfur region. The conflict has decimated urban areas and is marred by widespread atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, which the UN and other rights groups have consistently flagged as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in Darfur.
The war has also precipitated the world's most severe humanitarian crisis, pushing various parts of the nation to the brink of famine. Amidst this turmoil, Secretary-General Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, advocating for a comprehensive, inclusive, and Sudanese-led political process to resolve the conflict in the North-East African nation.