A aerial bombardment struck a United Nations facility in conflict-ridden Sudan on Saturday, causing the demise of six peacekeeping personnel, according to a statement.
The strike impacted a peacekeeping facility in the city of Kadugli, found in the central region of Kordofan.
Eight other personnel were injured in the attack. Each of the casualties are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the United Nations mission in Abyei.
“Strikes targeting United Nations personnel could be international crimes under global statutes,” officials stated, urging the perpetrators for the “inexcusable” strike to be brought to justice.
Military Accuses Paramilitary Faction
The government forces attributed the strike on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a prominent armed faction that has been engaged in conflict with the army for control of the country for over 24 months.
The attack “shows the rebellious approach of the armed faction and its backers,” the army said in a communication.
Context of the Disputed Region
The oil-rich Abyei is a contested area between Sudan and South Sudan, and the peacekeeping force has been stationed there since 2011, when South Sudan seceded from Sudan.
Demands for an swift truce in Sudan were also expressed to allow “a broad, all-encompassing and nationally led peace process” to address the war.
Nation Engulfed in Conflict Since 2023
Sudan was thrown into widespread violence in April 2023 when a power struggle between the army and the RSF exploded into full-scale combat in the city of Khartoum and across the country.
- The war has claimed tens of thousands, a toll rights groups consider a significant undercount.
- Recent hostilities has focused on Kordofan, notably since paramilitary forces seized El Fasher.
- The crisis has wrecked towns and has been characterized by horrors, like systematic rape and killings based on ethnicity.
- These acts have been labeled crimes against humanity by the UN and rights groups.
- The situation has also caused the planet's most severe humanitarian crisis and driven parts of the country into famine.
