A UN helicopter evacuation in South Sudan was disrupted by gunfire, resulting in multiple fatalities, including a crew member and South Sudanese troops. President Kiir reported a second helicopter that crash-landed, leading to further losses. The ongoing conflict threatens a fragile peace deal between Kiir and Vice-President Machar, with rising tensions and arrests igniting fears of renewed warfare.
In South Sudan, several fatalities occurred following a United Nations helicopter attack during an evacuation of national army members. According to a statement from the UN Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss), one crew member was killed and several troops, including an injured South Sudanese general, perished in this unfortunate incident in Upper Nile state.
President Salva Kiir reported that a second helicopter took off post-attack but soon crash-landed, resulting in the deaths of all passengers aboard. The UN has yet to confirm these details, but it expressed that the attack on the first helicopter “may constitute a war crime.”
Recent weeks have seen escalating conflicts in Upper Nile, endangering the fragile peace accord between President Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar. The 2013 division between these leaders initiated a five-year civil war, leading to the deaths of 400,000 individuals and displacing 2.5 million people. Although a peace agreement was reached in 2018, tensions persist.
The violence currently witnessed is between government forces and the White Army—an ethnic militia allied with Machar during the previous conflict. Unmiss has been facilitating the evacuation of injured troops from this conflict zone, having secured agreements with both the White Army and South Sudan’s army.
Nicholas Haysom, the head of Unmiss, condemned the attack on mission personnel as “utterly abhorrent” and highlighted that it “may constitute a war crime under international law.” He expressed deep regrets over the loss of a colleague and the casualties among the individuals being evacuated.
President Kiir identified the deceased general as Gen Majur Dak, commander of forces stationed in Nasir, Upper Nile. Additionally, rising arrests of Machar’s allies, including an oil minister and a senior army general, have raised alarms about a potential return to war. Following the attack, Kiir urged citizens to “remain calm,” asserting the government’s commitment to managing the crisis and preventing a return to conflict. South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
The recent deadly attack on UN personnel in South Sudan underscores the precarious situation in the region, revealing the challenges to maintaining peace following years of civil conflict. With ongoing violence, the ramifications of this incident could further destabilize an already fragile political landscape. Continued efforts toward peace and stability are critical as President Kiir seeks to navigate through these turbulent times.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
