UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned a deadly drone attack on a United Nations mission base in Sudan that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers, describing the incident as “heinous.”
The attack took place on Saturday (13 December) at a UN peacekeeping base in the Abyei area of Sudan, where terrorists launched a surprise drone strike. A total of 14 Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed or injured in the attack, with six losing their lives and eight others sustaining injuries.
In a statement condemning the assault, Guterres said, “I strongly condemn this heinous drone attack targeting a UN peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan.”
He warned that attacks deliberately targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. “Such attacks on peacekeepers, including today’s incident in South Kordofan, are completely unacceptable and those responsible must be held accountable,” he said.
Sudan’s military has blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack. Sudan has been gripped by a civil war for more than two years, with ongoing fighting between the army and the RSF. The RSF has not immediately commented on the allegation.
In a separate statement, the Sudanese army said the attack “clearly reflects the destructive intent of rebel militias and their backers.” The military also posted a video on social media showing thick black smoke billowing from the UN facility following the strike.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has expressed deep sorrow and concern over the deaths of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the drone attack on the UN mission base in Abyei.
