Six Bangladeshi UN Peacekeepers Killed in Sudan Drone Strike

A drone strike targeted a United Nations peacekeeping facility in Sudan on Saturday, killing six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and wounding eight others, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The attack struck the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei logistics base in Kadugli, a city in the central Kordofan region near the disputed Abyei area between Sudan and South Sudan.

All victims were Bangladeshi nationals serving with UNISFA, the UN mission deployed to protect civilians amid frequent armed clashes in the oil-rich Abyei region. Guterres described the incident as an "unjustifiable" assault in a statement, emphasizing that attacks on UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. He urged that those responsible be held accountable.

The Sudanese armed forces attributed the strike to the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group locked in a power struggle with the military since April 2023. "The attack clearly reveals the subversive approach of the rebel militia and those behind it," the military said in a statement. The RSF, which has been accused of atrocities in regions like Darfur, has been active in Abyei, exacerbating tensions in the area.