A drone attack struck a United Nations peacekeeping support facility in conflict-affected Sudan, resulting in the deaths of six peacekeepers, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Additionally, eight other peacekeepers sustained injuries in the incident, which occurred on Saturday, December 13, 2025, in Kadugli, a city located in the central Kordofan region. All the individuals affected were Bangladeshi nationals, serving with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
Guterres emphasized that “assaults targeting United Nations peacekeepers could be considered war crimes under international legal statutes.” He also urged that those responsible for what he described as an “unacceptable” attack be held to account.
The Sudanese military attributed the strike to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a prominent paramilitary organization that has been in conflict with the nation’s armed forces for control of the country for over two years. The RSF did not offer an immediate response.
The military stated that the assault “clearly demonstrates the disruptive tactics of the insurgent group and its backers.” They also published footage online, reportedly showing thick dark smoke above what they identified as the UN site.
Abyei, a resource-rich area, is a contested region located between Sudan and South Sudan, where the UN operation has been stationed since 2011, following South Sudan’s attainment of independence from Sudan.
Guterres further urged an immediate halt to hostilities in Sudan to facilitate “a thorough, participatory, and domestically-led political initiative” aimed at resolving the conflict in the Northeast African nation.
Sudan descended into turmoil in April 2023, when a struggle for authority between the military and the RSF erupted into widespread combat in the capital, Khartoum, and throughout the nation. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 individuals, though human rights organizations believe this figure is a considerable underestimate.
Recent hostilities have concentrated on Kordofan, particularly since the RSF gained command of El Fasher, which was the military’s final key position in the western region of Darfur.
The conflict has devastated urban environments and has been characterized by severe abuses, including widespread sexual violence and ethnically targeted killings. Both the UN and human rights organizations have asserted that these actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically in Darfur.
Furthermore, the war has generated the globe’s most severe humanitarian emergency and driven certain areas of the nation into acute food shortages.
