United Nations peacekeepers mourned six Bangladeshi personnel killed in a drone strike on their base in Sudan’s central Kordofan region on Monday. The victims were serving with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), deployed to the oil-rich disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011. A solemn ceremony in Kadugli marked the loss, and the remains of the peacekeepers were returned to Bangladesh. The UN condemned the attack, with Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq citing Secretary-General António Guterres: “Attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.
All parties to the conflict must protect UN personnel and civilians. Such attacks are unjustifiable, and there must be accountability.” Sudan’s military blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the strike. The RSF, engaged in an ongoing conflict with the army for control of the country, has not commented. The drone attack highlights the continued dangers faced by peacekeepers in Abyei, a region that has remained volatile since South Sudan’s independence in 2011.
