Islamabad/Dhaka, Dec 15: Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned a drone attack on a United Nations peacekeeping base in southern Sudan that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injured several others, describing the assault as a war crime and calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The strike targeted a logistics base of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, amid Sudan’s ongoing internal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Sudan’s army blamed the RSF for carrying out the attack, though no group has publicly claimed responsibility.
In a statement posted on social media, Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said Islamabad “strongly condemns the attack on UNISFA in Kadugli, resulting in the tragic loss of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injuries to several others,” adding that Pakistan honors their “supreme sacrifice in the service of peace.”
“Such heinous attacks on UN peacekeepers amount to war crimes,” the statement said, stressing that the perpetrators must be identified and held accountable. Pakistan also reaffirmed its solidarity with UN peacekeepers worldwide as one of the largest troop-contributing countries.
Bangladesh’s armed forces confirmed that six peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in the drone strike on the UN base in the disputed Abyei region, which lies between Sudan and South Sudan. Authorities said efforts were under way to provide medical treatment and conduct rescue operations for the injured.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the attack, saying assaults on UN personnel are “unjustifiable” and may constitute war crimes, while reminding all parties of their obligation to protect peacekeepers and civilians.
Sudan has been gripped by widespread violence since April 2023, following the collapse of a fragile political transition after the 2019 ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir. Fighting between rival military factions has spread across the country, worsening a humanitarian crisis.
Pakistan has contributed more than 235,000 troops to 48 UN peacekeeping missions over the past eight decades, with more than 180 of its peacekeepers losing their lives while serving under the UN flag. Bangladesh is also among the world’s leading contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.
The incident comes as Pakistan and Bangladesh have in recent months taken steps to improve relations long strained by historical grievances dating back to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
