Sudan Conflict Escalates as Drone Strike Kills Six UN Peacekeepers; UN Secretary General Guterres Warns of War Crimes

At least six United Nations peacekeepers were killed and seven others injured after a UN facility in Kadugli, the capital of Sudan’s South Kordofan State, was hit by a drone strike, according to Sudanese authorities. The incident marks one of the deadliest attacks on UN personnel in the country since the outbreak of Sudan’s civil conflict in 2023, raising serious concerns over the safety of international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions operating in active war zones.

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the drone attacks that led to six deaths and eight injuries, which included members of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent serving in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei. Guterres expressed his “deepest and heartfelt condolences” to the government and people of Bangladesh and to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, and wished a swift recovery to the injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

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“Attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, and I remind all parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect UN personnel and civilians,” he said. In the statement, the UN chief reiterated his call on the warring parties to agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities and resume talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive, and Sudanese-owned political process.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the attack, alleging that a drone fired multiple missiles at the UN headquarters and a battalion base, triggering a fire at a UN storage facility. The RSF has strongly denied the accusation. All casualties were reportedly members of the Bangladesh Battalion serving under the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), a mission tasked with maintaining stability in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan.

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In a separate statement, Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, which backs the SAF, condemned what it described as an RSF drone attack on UN premises in Kadugli, calling it a serious violation of international humanitarian law and the protections afforded to UN facilities. “Targeting a protected UN facility represents a dangerous escalation and criminal behavior amounting to an organized terrorist act,” the council said, adding that the attack poses a direct threat to humanitarian and international missions.

The council held the RSF “fully responsible” and urged the United Nations and the international community to take firm measures to protect UN facilities and humanitarian personnel, and to hold those responsible accountable under international law. The RSF, however, denied carrying out any aerial attack on the UN facility. In a statement, it rejected the allegations as “baseless,” saying they were an attempt to fabricate accusations against its forces.

The RSF claimed its record is “entirely free” of attacks on international organizations, adding that it has previously worked to protect UN facilities and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers. It called on international bodies to verify information carefully. Sudan has been engulfed in a deadly conflict since April 15, 2023, when fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced inside the country and across its borders.

With Inputs From IANS

(SY)

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