Photo credit: the Globe and Mail
A drone strike hit a UN facility in war-torn Sudan on Saturday, killing six peacekeepers, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced.
The Koren Herald reports that the strike hit the peacekeeping logistics base in the city of Kadugli, in the central region of Kordofan, according to Guterres.
Eight other peacekeepers were wounded in the strike. All the victims are Bangladeshi nationals, serving in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, UNISFA.
Guterres warned that “Attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.” He asked for those responsible for the “unjustifiable” attack to be held accountable.
The Sudanese military blamed the attack on the Rapid Response Forces, RSF, a notorious paramilitary group at war with the army for control of the country for more than two years. There was no immediate comment from the RSF.
The attack “clearly reveals the subversive approach of the rebel militia and those behind it,” the military said in a statement. The military posted a video on social media showing plumes of dense black smoke over what it said was the UN facility.
Guterres also called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan to allow “a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process” to settle the conflict in the northeast African country.
