In South Sudan, violence erupted as UN helicopters were attacked during an evacuation, resulting in multiple casualties including a crew member. The UN condemned the incident as potentially a war crime. President Kiir reported further deaths due to a helicopter crash while urging calm in light of heightened tensions between government forces and an ethnic militia. The ongoing conflict threatens the fragile peace established post-civil war.
In South Sudan, recent clashes have resulted in significant casualties, including the loss of a UN crew member during an attack on a UN helicopter. This incident occurred during an evacuation effort involving South Sudanese national army personnel, leading several troops and a general to be wounded or killed. The UN described the aggression against its aircraft as potentially constituting a war crime, underscoring the grave seriousness of the attack.
Subsequently, President Salva Kiir reported that a second helicopter, which took off post-attack, encountered issues and crash-landed, thus resulting in additional fatalities. However, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) later stated that both helicopters landed safely at Malakal. The government’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei, revealed that a total of twenty-seven South Sudanese individuals lost their lives in the recent violence.
The continuing conflict in Upper Nile poses risks to the fragile peace established between President Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar following years of civil war that began in 2013. Despite a peace agreement signed in 2018, tensions remain high as fighting persists between the armed forces and the White Army militia, which had previously supported Machar.
In response to the violence, UNMISS is working to transport injured soldiers from the conflict area. UNMISS head Nicholas Haysom condemned the attack, labeling it “extremely abhorrent,” and expressed condolences for the lost personnel and those attempting to assist. Furthermore, President Kiir identified the fallen general as Gen Majur Dak, commander of forces stationed in Nasir, while also calling for calm among the populace. He emphasized the government’s resolve to avert a return to conflict, urging citizens not to take the law into their own hands.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and has since struggled with internal strife, highlighted by this recent escalation in violence.
The recent escalation of violence in South Sudan, marked by attacks on UN helicopters and clashes between army factions, highlights the fragile nature of the region’s peace. The UN’s condemnation of the attack as a potential war crime and President Kiir’s calls for calm underline the urgent need for stability. As the nation grapples with its tumultuous past, the call to avoid a return to war resonates deeply within the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
