Aerial Attack on United Nations Compound in Conflict-Ravaged Sudan Leaves 6 UN Personnel
A aerial bombardment struck a United Nations logistics base in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the demise of six UN soldiers, as stated by a announcement.
The incident occurred at a peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight other peacekeepers were hurt in the attack. All the victims are from Bangladesh, deployed with the United Nations mission in Abyei.
“Strikes aimed at United Nations personnel may constitute violations of international law under global statutes,” it was declared, demanding the culprits for the “inexcusable” attack to be prosecuted.
Military Accuses Fighter Group
The national army assigned responsibility for the attack on the paramilitary RSF group, a notorious armed faction that has been at war with the government troops for power in the country for since April 2023.
The strike “shows the destructive approach of the paramilitary group and its backers,” the military said in a release.
Context of the Disputed Region
The resource-abundant Abyei is a contested area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations contingent has been stationed there since 2011, when South Sudan seceded from Sudan.
Calls for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan were also issued to allow “a wide-ranging, all-encompassing and locally driven dialogue” to resolve the fighting.
Nation Plunged into Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was plunged into open war in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the RSF exploded into direct clashes in the city of Khartoum and other parts the country.
- The war has claimed tens of thousands, a figure advocates regard as a low estimate.
- Recent fighting has been concentrated in Kordofan, particularly since the RSF seized El Fasher.
- The war has destroyed towns and has been noted for grave abuses, like mass rape and ethnically motivated killings.
- These crimes have been called war crimes by international bodies.
- The situation has also precipitated the planet's most severe humanitarian disaster and pushed parts of the country into famine.
