A UN helicopter was attacked while attempting to evacuate South Sudanese soldiers, leading to fatalities among the crew and military personnel. The UN has labeled the attack as potentially constituting a war crime, further straining the fragile peace in the region.
Tragic Attack on UN Helicopter in South Sudan Leaves Multiple Casualties
Tragic Attack on UN Helicopter in South Sudan Leaves Multiple Casualties
A recent incident involving a UN helicopter in South Sudan has resulted in several deaths, igniting concerns over a potential escalation of violence amid ongoing conflicts.
Several individuals lost their lives in South Sudan following an attack on a UN helicopter during a military evacuation operation. The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, known as Unmiss, reported that one crew member was killed when the helicopter came under fire while transporting wounded troops from the conflict-affected region.
An injured South Sudanese general was also among the fatalities, as information from the government revealed that a total of 27 military personnel had died. The incident occurred in Upper Nile state, where tensions have escalated dramatically, threatening the fragile peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar. This peace deal, initially signed in 2018, aimed to end a brutal civil war that raged from 2013 to 2018, resulting in the deaths of approximately 400,000 individuals and displacing millions.
South Sudan has been grappling with ongoing violence, particularly between the national army and the White Army militia, which has roots in ethnic alliances formed during the civil conflict. Unmiss was engaged in evacuating injured soldiers amid this turmoil when the helicopter was targeted. The attack prompted Unmiss leader Nicholas Haysom to condemn the act as "utterly abhorrent," suggesting that it could be classified as a war crime under international law.
President Kiir confirmed that the deceased general, Gen. Majur Dak, was leading forces stationed in the region. Reports vary concerning the fate of a second helicopter, which allegedly crash-landed after taking off following the gunfire; however, Unmiss maintains that both of their aircraft returned safely to Malakal.
The recent violence is not isolated, as government crackdowns have seen arrests of prominent figures allied to Machar, raising fears of a possible return to widespread conflict. In response to the unrest, President Kiir has appealed for calm, emphasizing that the government would manage the situation and prevent any slide back into war.
As South Sudan navigates these challenges, the international community remains watchful, aware that the stakes are high for the stability of one of the world's youngest nations, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011.
