The United Nations has strongly criticized a drone assault on its logistics facility in Sudan’s central Kordofan region, specifically at the Kadugli base, which left several members of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping unit dead and others injured.
In a statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the attack as unacceptable, stressing that assaults on UN peacekeepers are unjustifiable and could amount to war crimes under international law. He urged all parties involved in the conflict to respect their duty to protect UN personnel and civilians, while calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.
According to the United Nations, the drone strike hit the UN compound in conflict-ravaged Sudan on Saturday, killing six peacekeepers.
An additional eight peacekeepers sustained injuries in the attack.All those affected were Bangladeshi nationals serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
“Deliberate attacks on United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law,” Guterres said, demanding accountability for what he described as an “unjustifiable” act.
Sudan’s military has blamed the incident on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group that has been locked in a brutal war with the national army for more than two years.
The RSF has not issued any immediate response to the accusation.
In a statement, the military said the attack “clearly exposes the destructive tactics of the rebel militia and those backing it.”
The army also shared a video on social media showing thick black smoke rising from what it claimed was the UN facility targeted in the strike.
Abyei, a resource-rich area, remains a disputed territory between Sudan and South Sudan. The UN has maintained a peacekeeping presence there since 2011, following South Sudan’s independence.
Guterres also renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire, saying it is necessary to allow “a comprehensive, inclusive, and Sudanese-led political process” to resolve the crisis in the northeastern African nation.
Sudan descended into turmoil in April 2023 after a power struggle between the military and the RSF erupted into full-scale fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the country.
The conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives, although human rights organizations believe the true number is far higher.Recent clashes have been concentrated in Kordofan, especially after the RSF seized el-Fasher, the military’s last major stronghold in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
The war has devastated cities and towns and has been marked by grave abuses, including mass rape and ethnically driven killings. The UN and rights groups have described these acts, particularly in Darfur, as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
