A tragic shooting incident in South Sudan disrupted a UN evacuation attempt, resulting in multiple deaths, including a crew member. The ongoing conflict threatens a fragile peace agreement, with calls for calm from President Kiir amid rising tensions and arrests of key allies of his political rival, Riek Machar.
In South Sudan, a tragic incident occurred when a United Nations helicopter came under fire during an evacuation attempt, resulting in several fatalities. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) confirmed that one crew member lost his life, alongside an injured South Sudanese general and additional troops during the operation in Upper Nile state.
President Salva Kiir reported that a second UN helicopter managed to take off following the attack but subsequently crash-landed, resulting in the death of all passengers. The UN has yet to verify these comments, although they stated that the assault on the first helicopter “may constitute a war crime.”
The ongoing violence in Upper Nile is straining an already fragile peace agreement between President Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, which has been threatened by weeks of conflict involving the armed forces and the White Army militia. Following a brutal civil war from 2013 to 2018, during which 400,000 lives were lost and millions displaced, a peace treaty was signed, yet stability remains elusive.
Unmiss is actively involved in evacuating injured troops from conflict areas under assurances from both the White Army and the South Sudanese army. Nicholas Haysom, head of Unmiss, condemned the attack on personnel as “utterly abhorrent” and acknowledged the tragic loss of their colleague, alongside those they sought to help.
General Majur Dak, who commanded the forces in Nasir, was among those killed in the recent attack. Amid escalating violence and the detention of several of Machar’s allies, including the oil minister and a top army general, there are rising fears of renewed conflict. In the wake of the attack, President Kiir called for national calm, emphasizing the government’s commitment to managing the crisis and preventing a regression into war. South Sudan, having achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, remains the world’s youngest nation.
The recent attack on a UN helicopter in South Sudan illustrates the fragility of peace in a region still healing from years of brutal civil war. The deaths of personnel during evacuation efforts raise serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation, prompting President Kiir to call for calm and assuring the nation of the government’s resolve to maintain peace. The ongoing conflict reflects deeper tensions within the political landscape, hinting at the possibility of renewed violence if swift action is not taken.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
