US, Guterres condemn peacekeepers' drone deaths

The US on Sunday condemned a drone attack on a UN base in Sudan that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injured eight others ‘in the strongest terms’, reports Anadolu Ajanse. The Saturday attack at the UN base in Kadugli, Sudan, represents an ‘egregious disregard for international efforts to protect peace and security’, said Massad Boulos, US senior adviser for Arab and African Affairs, on X. Boulos demanded that the warring parties ‘must not target UN personnel’ and must ‘cease hostilities without preconditions’ while allowing ‘unhindered humanitarian access’. The attack came as conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues unabated. The fighting since April 2023 has killed thousands, displaced millions and led to one of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The Sudanese army blamed the attack on the RSF, but there was no immediate comment from the rebel group. The peacekeepers were part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (Unisfa), deployed in the disputed oil-rich border region administered by Sudan and the neighboring nation of South Sudan – which declared independence in 2011 – with both claiming stakes and having been embroiled in conflict for years. The Unisfa mission mandate was renewed last month. UN chief Antonio Guterres also condemned the attack, saying such assaults are ‘unjustifiable and may constitute war crimes’.

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Tuesday on four individuals and four entities accused of recruiting fighters for the civil war in Sudan, reports Anadolu Ajanse. The agency said the transnational network, primarily composed of Colombian nationals and companies, ‘recruits former Colombian military personnel and trains soldiers, including children’, to fight for the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF). ‘The RSF has shown again and again that it is willing to target civilians – including infants and young children. Its brutality has deepened the conflict and destabilised the region, creating the conditions for terrorist groups to grow,’ said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley. The agency said the network fuels a conflict that has provoked the world's ‘worst ongoing humanitarian crisis’. Washington remains committed to principles outlined in the 12 September Joint Statement on Restoring Peace and Security in Sudan, which calls for a three-month humanitarian truce followed by a permanent ceasefire and a transparent transition process leading to an independent, civilian-led government, according to the statement. ‘The United States again calls on external actors to cease providing financial and military support to the belligerents’, it said. As a result of the action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons in the US or in possession or control of US persons are blocked, the agency said. Entities owned 50% or more by blocked persons are also blocked. The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has since killed thousands and displaced millions of others.

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that it will be forced to implement drastic food ration cuts for millions of people in Sudan starting in January due to a severe funding shortfall. In a statement, the UN agency announced that without an immediate injection of funds, it faces full pipeline breaks for food and nutrition supplies by April 2026, reports the Sudan Tribune. To maintain assistance for as long as possible, WFP said it has been forced to stretch its limited supplies. Beginning in January, rations will be reduced to 70% for communities in famine areas and to 50% for those at risk of famine – levels the agency described as ‘the absolute minimum for survival. The agency stated it urgently requires $695m over the next six months to maintain the momentum of its operations. WFP reaches over 4m people across Sudan each month with emergency food, cash and nutrition aid. The financial strain comes as the conflict continues to displace massive numbers of civilians. The WFP noted that recent surges in displacement from El Fasher have already stretched resources to the breaking point. The warning follows the agency’s assessment of the catastrophic situation in North Darfur, where critical infrastructure has been obliterated and famine conditions persist.