Source: UN News: Wednesday, 17 December 2025 00:02 AM
A drone attack has been targeted at a base of UN peacekeepers serving in Sudan, in which 6 peacekeepers were killed and 8 others were injured. All of them were serving in the Bangladeshi battalion. This attack was carried out on Saturday, targeting a UN warehouse and operations center located in Kadugli. UN Chief Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned this horrific drone attack. Tweet URL
Kadugli is the capital of Sudan’s South Kordofan province, where violent fighting has intensified between the Sudanese Army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The war between these two armies broke out about three years ago. All the peacekeepers killed in this drone attack belong to the Bangladeshi battalion which was serving in the UN Interim Security Force – UNISFA in Abyei. Abyei is an oil-rich area, the ownership of which has been disputed between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011, when there was partition between these two countries.UN Secretary General António Guterres has expressed his deepest condolences to the government and people of Bangladesh and to the families of the peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice. He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured peacekeepers. Attacks on UN peacekeepers are a war crime. The UN chief said in a statement, “Attacks targeting UN peacekeepers are war crimes under international law. And I remind all parties involved in the war that they have a responsibility to provide protection to UN personnel and civilians.” He said, “Attacks like the one today in South Kordofan There is no basis for such attacks. They need to be held accountable.” The UN Secretary-General expressed solidarity with all the thousands of UN peacekeepers who continue to serve under the UN flag, even in extremely dangerous circumstances. The UN chief also reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the start of negotiations to implement a ceasefire and an inclusive political process. The call has also been repeated. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of the UN peacekeeping department, has expressed grave outrage over this drone attack. He said in a social media post that UN peacekeepers are not a target, and this attack can be considered a war crime. UN Photo/Stuart Price UNISFA was launched in the year 2011. Its mandate is to strengthen the capacity of the Abyei Police Service, assist in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and ensure the safety of civilians. The duration of this mission has recently been extended for one more year. A total of 4 thousand military and police personnel are serving in this UN mission. Apart from these, civil staff is also serving in this mission.