A South Sudanese general and dozens of soldiers were killed on Friday when a United Nations helicopter attempting to evacuate them from the northern town of Nasir came under attack.
The incident, which the U.N. condemned as “utterly abhorrent” and a potential war crime, threatens to further destabilize the country’s fragile peace process.
The U.N. aircraft was dispatched to airlift troops following intense clashes in Nasir between national forces and the White Army militia, a group linked to First Vice President Riek Machar’s faction.
According to President Salva Kiir, Machar had personally assured him and the U.N. that General Majur Dak and his men would be safe and should be extracted. However, the mission ended in bloodshed.
Information Minister Michael Makuei reported that approximately 27 soldiers were killed, including a U.N. crew member. It remains unclear whether the helicopter was attacked in the air or while on the ground.
Machar’s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, declined to comment on the attack, and Machar’s party has previously denied involvement in the Nasir clashes.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Haysom, head of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), called the attack a possible war crime under international law and demanded an investigation to identify and hold those responsible.
The crisis is unfolding amid rising political tensions. Earlier this week, security forces arrested key officials allied with Machar, including the petroleum minister, the peacebuilding minister, and senior military figures.
The detentions, which the government has not publicly addressed, have raised concerns over the stability of the 2018 peace agreement that ended the civil war between Kiir and Machar’s factions.
The White Army, a militia composed largely of Nuer ethnic youth, previously fought alongside Machar’s forces in the 2013-2018 conflict against President Kiir’s predominantly Dinka-led troops.
