Algerian Radio
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the drone attacks that targeted the UN peacekeepers' logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, on Saturday, leaving six dead and eight injured, all members of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping contingent serving within the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
"Attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, and I remind all parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect United Nations personnel and civilians," Mr. Guterres said in a press statement.
He asserted that these attacks against peacekeepers in South Kordofan "are unjustifiable." "Those responsible must be held accountable," he added.
The UN Secretary-General reiterated his call for the warring parties to agree on an immediate ceasefire and to resume negotiations regarding a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive, Sudanese-led political process.
The UN peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, also reacted strongly in a message on social media.
He said he was "shocked by this horrific attack" against UNISFA peacekeepers, stating that "peacekeepers are not a target" and that "this attack could constitute a war crime."
Kadugli is the capital of South Kordofan State, a region seeing violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which has been ongoing for two and a half years, has caused the displacement of millions of people across Sudan.
