Tragic Shooting Disrupts UN Evacuation Attempt in South Sudan
In South Sudan, a UN evacuation attempt led to deadly violence, resulting in multiple fatalities, including a crew member and a general. President Salva Kiir reported a second helicopter crash post-attack, which the UN has not confirmed. Rising tensions threaten a fragile peace agreement amid ongoing fighting between armed forces and militias. The situation necessitates careful government management and calls for calm from Kiir.
In South Sudan, a tragic incident occurred during a United Nations evacuation attempt, resulting in fatalities. A UN helicopter was attacked, leading to the death of one crew member and a South Sudanese general, along with several others. This incident took place in Upper Nile state amid ongoing conflicts in the area.
President Salva Kiir reported that a second UN helicopter managed to take off after the initial attack but subsequently crash-landed, resulting in the deaths of all passengers on board. The UN has not validated these claims but noted that the assault may equate to a war crime.
The fighting in Upper Nile threatens to disrupt a fragile peace deal between President Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar, whose previous rift initiated a five-year civil war claiming approximately 400,000 lives and displacing 2.5 million individuals. A peace agreement was reached in 2018, yet tensions persist.
The current conflict involves South Sudan’s armed forces and the White Army, an ethnic militia allied with Machar during the civil war. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been trying to evacuate wounded soldiers from the conflict zone, taking action based on assurances of safe passage.
UNMISS Head Nicholas Haysom condemned the attack on mission personnel as “utterly abhorrent” and expressed sorrow over the loss of a colleague and those they were attempting to evacuate. He emphasized the regrettable nature of the situation, given the received assurances.
Following the attack, President Kiir identified the deceased general as Gen Majur Dak, who commanded forces in Nasir, a region experiencing ongoing hostilities. This development, combined with a wave of arrests of Machar’s allies, has raised concerns regarding a potential return to war.
In response to the crisis, President Kiir urged the nation to maintain tranquility and declared that the government would manage the situation. He stated, “I have said time and again, that our country would not go back to war. Let no one take the law into their own hands.”
South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and is currently facing critical challenges amid an unstable political environment.
The recent shooting incident involving UN personnel during an evacuation attempt in South Sudan underscores the precarious security situation in the region. The loss of lives, including that of a South Sudanese general, highlights the ongoing tensions in Upper Nile state amidst a fragile peace agreement. Continued violence, coupled with political unrest, raises alarms about a possible resurgence of civil conflict, prompting government calls for calm amidst the crisis.
Original Source: www.bbc.com
