Tragedy struck in South Sudan as a United Nations mission faced a deadly assault while attempting to evacuate members of the national army. The UN revealed that several lives were lost in the violent incident, including a crew member who perished when a UN helicopter was targeted in the attack. The mission, known as Unmiss, also reported the death of a South Sudanese general and multiple troops in Upper Nile state during the evacuation operation.
The brazen attack on the UN helicopter has raised grave concerns, with the organization suggesting that the assault may amount to a war crime. President Salva Kiir of South Sudan later disclosed that a second helicopter, trying to escape the onslaught, tragically crashed with fatal consequences for all on board. However, Unmiss contradicted this account, confirming that both of its aircraft landed safely in Malakal.
The toll from this harrowing incident continues to mount, as Information Minister Michael Makuei confirmed that a total of twenty-seven South Sudanese soldiers lost their lives. The ongoing clashes in Upper Nile, primarily involving the armed forces and the White Army—an ethnic militia previously aligned with Vice-President Riek Machar during the civil war—have jeopardized the fragile peace agreement between President Kiir and Machar.
The history of strife in South Sudan is marred by a devastating civil war that erupted in 2013 following a rift between Kiir and Machar, resulting in a catastrophic loss of lives and displacement of millions. Despite the signing of a peace deal in 2018, the region remains volatile, with recent events indicating a resurgence of conflict.
Nicholas Haysom, the head of Unmiss, condemned the attack on his team as “utterly abhorrent” and potentially constituting a violation of international law. Expressing deep sorrow over the loss of their colleague and the troops they were endeavoring to rescue, Haysom emphasized the tragic outcome despite assurances of safe passage.
Gen Majur Dak, the army general who perished in the assault, was leading forces in Nasir, a critical region within Upper Nile. The unrest has been further exacerbated by a wave of arrests, including prominent figures associated with Machar, raising fears of a return to full-scale conflict in South Sudan.
In the aftermath of the brutal attack, President Kiir issued a plea for calm, vowing to address the crisis through peaceful means. Emphasizing his commitment to preventing a descent into war, Kiir urged the populace not to take matters into their own hands, assuring that the government would manage the situation.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation following its secession from Sudan in 2011, continues to grapple with internal strife and external pressures, threatening to plunge the region back into the abyss of conflict. The recent events serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace in a nation scarred by years of bloodshed and unrest.
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