NEW DELHI, India: The Bangladeshi Government and the United Nations (UN) chief strongly condemned a militant drone attack on a UN compound in southern Sudan that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers on Saturday.
“I am deeply saddened by the news that six of our brave peacekeepers embraced martyrdom and eight others were injured while carrying out the noble duty of establishing peace and stability,” Bangladesh interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, said in a statement on Saturday night.
Drone attacks targeting the UN logistics base in Kadugli city resulted in six fatalities and eight injuries among the Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Saturday.
“Attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and I remind all parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect UN personnel and civilians,” he said.
“Attacks as the one today in South Kordofan against peacekeepers are unjustifiable. There will need to be accountability,” Guterres said, calling for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in Sudan’s internal strife.
The South Kordofan region of Sudan has come under attacks from the notorious foreign-backed group known as Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been accused by Sudan and the international community of carrying out horrific massacres, rapes and pillaging in El Fasher in western Sudan.
The RSF has also been active in Abyei, an oil-rich disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan.
UNISFA’s peacekeeping mission was deployed there in 2011 and was extended by the UN Security Council last month until November 2026.
The terror attack on its soldiers has caused a shock across Bangladesh.
“Bangladesh mourns the death of her valiant sons and expresses deep condolences to the bereaved families,” Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The Sudanese Government offered its condolences to Bangladesh and called for firm international action against the RSF.
It said the militant group poses a direct threat to UN and humanitarian operations. – By Shakir Husain/BERNAMA
