SRINAGAR: At least six United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh were killed and seven others injured in a drone attack on a UN base in Kadugli, the capital of Sudan’s South Kordofan State on Saturday, Reuters reported.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the strike, a claim the RSF has denied, according to Xinhua news agency.
The SAF stated that the drone fired three missiles targeting the UN headquarters and the Bangladesh Battalion, setting a UN storage facility ablaze. All casualties were reportedly members of the Bangladesh Battalion, part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, IANS reported.
Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, which supports the SAF, condemned the attack, describing it as a serious violation of international humanitarian law and the protections afforded to UN facilities. The council called the incident “a dangerous escalation and criminal behaviour amounting to an organised terrorist act,” adding that it posed a direct threat to humanitarian and international missions.
The council held the RSF “fully responsible” and urged the UN and the international community to take firm measures to safeguard UN facilities and personnel, and to hold those accountable under international law.
The RSF, however, denied involvement in the aerial strike, dismissing the allegations as “baseless” and claiming its forces have previously worked to protect UN installations and humanitarian workers. The group called on international bodies to verify information carefully before attributing blame.
Sudan has been embroiled in violent conflict since April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the SAF and RSF, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, both internally and across borders. The war has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with parts of the country facing famine conditions.
Efforts to end the conflict have so far failed. Last month, US President Donald Trump pledged to work towards a resolution following talks in Washington with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though no concrete actions have yet been reported.
