Aerial Strike on UN Facility in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Claims 6 UN Personnel

A aerial bombardment hit a United Nations compound in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, resulting in the loss of six peacekeeping personnel, per a announcement.

The strike occurred at a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, located in the central region of Kordofan.

8 other peacekeepers were hurt in the assault. All the those affected are from Bangladesh, deployed with the United Nations mission in Abyei.

“Assaults targeting United Nations personnel could amount to war crimes under global statutes,” the statement said, urging the culprits for the “inexcusable” attack to be prosecuted.

Military Blames Paramilitary Group

The national army assigned responsibility for the attack on the RSF fighters, a notorious paramilitary group that has been engaged in conflict with the government troops for dominance over the country for over 24 months.

The attack “clearly reveals the rebellious nature of the paramilitary group and those behind it,” the military said in a communication.

Background of the Disputed Area

The oil-rich Abyei is a claimed territory between Sudan and South Sudan, and the UN mission has been stationed there since 2011, when the south gained its independence from Sudan.

Appeals for an urgent halt to fighting in Sudan were also made to allow “a wide-ranging, all-encompassing and Sudanese-owned peace process” to settle the conflict.

Nation Plunged into Chaos Since 2023

Sudan was engulfed in widespread violence in April 2023 when a political rivalry between the army and the RSF turned into full-scale combat in the city of Khartoum and other parts the country.

• The war has taken tens of thousands, a number advocates believe a low estimate.
• Recent combat has centred on Kordofan, notably since the RSF seized El Fasher.
• The war has wrecked cities and has been characterized by horrors, including widespread sexual violence and ethnically motivated killings.
• These crimes have been described as war crimes by international bodies.
• The conflict has also created the planet's most severe humanitarian emergency and forced parts of the country into famine.