Lead: On December 13, 2025, a drone strike struck a United Nations logistics base in Kadugli, Kordofan, killing six U.N. peacekeepers and wounding eight others, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said. The victims were serving with the U.N. Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) and were all Bangladeshi nationals. The Sudanese military blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attack; the RSF did not immediately respond. Guterres called for accountability and an immediate ceasefire to permit a Sudanese-led political process.
Key takeaways
- Six U.N. peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone strike on December 13, 2025, at a U.N. logistics base in Kadugli, central Kordofan.
- All victims were Bangladeshi troops assigned to UNISFA, the U.N. interim force operating in the disputed Abyei area since 2011.
- U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres described attacks on peacekeepers as potentially amounting to war crimes and urged those responsible be held to account.
- The Sudanese Armed Forces publicly accused the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of carrying out the strike; the RSF issued no immediate comment.
- Kadugli is part of Kordofan, a region where fighting has intensified after RSF advances elsewhere, including the capture of el-Fasher in Darfur.
- The wider conflict, erupting in April 2023 between the Sudanese military and the RSF, has killed over 40,000 people and generated a severe humanitarian crisis with reports of famine in parts of the country.
Background
The U.N. has maintained a presence in Abyei—the oil-producing, contested strip between Sudan and South Sudan—since 2011, when South Sudan gained independence. UNISFA was deployed to monitor the area and to prevent renewed hostilities between the two countries over territory and resources. The mission has often operated in a tense security environment, with local militias, armed groups and shifting front lines complicating operations.
Sudan’s current civil conflict began in April 2023 when tensions between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF escalated into nationwide armed clashes. Over the following years fighting spread beyond Khartoum, engulfing Darfur, Kordofan and other regions. Humanitarian agencies and rights groups have documented large-scale civilian casualties, mass displacement and reports of atrocities, particularly in Darfur, where the RSF and allied forces have seized towns previously held by the military.
Main event
According to the U.N., the strike struck a U.N. logistics base in Kadugli on December 13, 2025, killing six peacekeepers and injuring eight more. The base supports UNISFA operations in and around the Abyei area. U.N. officials said the dead and wounded were all Bangladeshi personnel assigned to the mission.
The Sudanese Armed Forces released a statement blaming the RSF and shared a short video on social platforms showing dense black smoke rising above what the military identified as the U.N. facility. The military characterized the attack as evidence of a subversive approach by the RSF and its backers. The RSF had not issued a public response at the time of reporting.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strike, warned that attacks on U.N. peacekeepers may meet the threshold of war crimes under international law, and called for those responsible to be held accountable. He also renewed an appeal for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian access and to restart inclusive political negotiations led by Sudanese stakeholders.
Analysis & implications
The killing of U.N. personnel marks a significant escalation in risks to international actors operating in Sudan and could complicate humanitarian and stabilization efforts. Peacekeeping logistics bases are intended to be neutral support nodes; an attack on such a facility challenges the norms that protect U.N. operations and could prompt mission adjustments or force-contributing countries to reassess deployments.
If the RSF is confirmed to be responsible, the incident would deepen international scrutiny of the group, already accused by U.N. bodies and rights groups of serious violations. Attribution will influence diplomatic pressure, targeted sanctions, and potential referrals to international accountability mechanisms. Conversely, contested or inconclusive attribution risks entrenching mutual recriminations and further militarization of the conflict.
For Bangladesh, the loss is acute: Bangladeshi troops have been a notable contingent in U.N. peace operations and have high domestic visibility. Governments that contribute troops may face domestic political pressure to demand stronger protection measures or to withdraw personnel if risks become intolerable. That dynamic could shrink the pool of deployed peacekeepers at a time when Sudan needs monitoring and humanitarian support.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Peacekeepers killed in this strike | 6 |
| Peacekeepers wounded | 8 |
| Conflict start | April 2023 |
| Estimated conflict deaths | Over 40,000 |
The table places the Kadugli strike within a pattern of sustained violence since April 2023. While single incidents vary, attacks that directly affect U.N. personnel tend to produce disproportionate diplomatic fallout relative to the numbers involved, because they undermine international responses and humanitarian access.
Reactions & quotes
“Attacks on United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law; those responsible must be held to account,”
António Guterres, U.N. Secretary-General (official statement)
Guterres used the remarks to press for immediate measures to protect civilians and U.N. staff, and to urge a ceasefire to enable political talks.
“The attack clearly reveals the subversive approach of the rebel militia and those behind it,”
Sudanese Armed Forces (official statement)
The military released footage and accused the RSF of responsibility, framing the incident as evidence of the RSF’s tactics; the RSF did not immediately answer those accusations.
Unconfirmed
- Attribution to the RSF is asserted by the Sudanese military but had not been independently verified by the U.N. at time of reporting.
- Details about the weapon type and launch location of the drone have not been publicly confirmed by forensic or U.N. investigators.
- Reports suggesting external state backing for the strike remain unsubstantiated and lack corroborating evidence.
Bottom line
The December 13 strike in Kadugli that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers is a grave incident with both immediate human costs and broader political consequences. It heightens risks for U.N. missions in Sudan and could accelerate calls for accountability, shifting diplomatic and operational calculations among international actors.
In the near term, the priority will be to verify responsibility, secure protections for U.N. personnel and guarantee humanitarian access. Longer term, the attack underscores that sustainable resolution in Sudan requires a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process—an outcome the U.N. chief and others continue to press for amid an increasingly lethal conflict.