United Nations peacekeepers in Sudan held a memorial ceremony on Monday in the city of Kadugli to honour six colleagues killed in a drone attack on their base in the central Kordofan region. The peacekeepers were serving with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
According to the United Nations, all six victims were Bangladeshi nationals. Following the ceremony, their bodies were repatriated to Bangladesh.
The UN strongly condemned the attack, warning that assaults on peacekeeping forces may amount to war crimes under international law. Speaking to reporters, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq said the Secretary-General stressed that all parties to the conflict are obligated to ensure the safety of UN personnel and civilians. He added that attacks against peacekeepers are unacceptable and must be met with accountability.
Sudan’s military accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the drone strike. The RSF, which has been locked in a violent power struggle with the army for more than two years, has not issued an immediate response.
The attack occurred in the disputed, oil-rich Abyei region, located along the border between Sudan and South Sudan. The UN has maintained a peacekeeping presence in Abyei since 2011, following South Sudan’s independence.
