UN
1Min
South Africa
Dec 14, 2025
A drone attack on a United Nations peacekeeping base in Sudan’s Kordofan region has killed six peacekeepers from Bangladesh and injured others, prompting condemnation from the UN chief and accusations against paramilitary forces amid the country’s ongoing civil conflict.
Six United Nations peacekeepers from Bangladesh were killed and others wounded on Saturday when a drone struck a UN peacekeeping base in Sudan’s southern Kordofan region, the United Nations confirmed. The attack hit a logistics facility used by the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, known as UNISFA, in the city of Kadugli.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the strike, calling it “horrific” and saying that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. He urged accountability for those responsible and repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire to advance a political solution to the crisis.
Eight other peacekeepers were wounded, including several seriously, according to mission statements and diplomatic sources. All of the victims were serving under the Bangladeshi contingent of UNISFA, which has been deployed in the disputed Abyei border region between Sudan and South Sudan since 2011.
The Sudanese government has blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack. The army described the drone strike as a “criminal act” that violated international humanitarian law and endangered international personnel, while an RSF statement denied involvement in the assault.
Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, expressed deep sadness over the deaths and called for urgent medical assistance for the injured. The government of Bangladesh has strongly condemned the targeting of its peacekeeping troops, one of the largest contributors to UN missions worldwide.
Sudan has been gripped by civil war since April 2023, when a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the RSF exploded into widespread fighting across the country. The conflict has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, widespread displacement and repeated attacks on civilians and aid workers.
The strike on UN personnel represents one of the deadliest single incidents for the organisation in Sudan since the war began, underscoring the growing risks faced by peacekeepers in volatile conflict zones. The UN has reiterated the need for enhanced protection for its forces and a renewed push toward an inclusive political process to end the violence.
