JUBA, South Sudan: A United Nations helicopter was targeted on Friday while attempting to rescue soldiers in South Sudan resulting in the death of a crew member and several soldiers including a general.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said the attack in the northern town of Nasir is a possible war crime.
UNMISS said its team was trying to evacuate members of the South Sudanese army from the area when their helicopter came under fire.
A South Sudanese army general and other officers were killed in the failed rescue mission, UNMISS said in a statement.
“The attack on UNMISS personnel is utterly abhorrent and may constitute a war crime under international law,” said the head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom. “We also regret the killing of those that we were attempting to extract,” he added.
“We also regret the killing of those that we were attempting to extract, particularly when assurances of safe passage had been received. UNMISS urges an investigation to determine those responsible and hold them accountable.”
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, ended a five-year civil war in 2018 with a power-sharing agreement between bitter rivals Kiir and Machar.
But Kiir’s allies have accused Machar’s forces of causing unrest in Nasir County, Upper Nile State in league with the so-called White Army, a loose band of armed youths in the region from the same ethnic Nuer community as the vice-president.
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UNMISS said its evacuation mission was an attempt to end the violence in Nasir County that had caused “significant casualties and civilian displacement.”
Earlier this week, regional and Western diplomats warned that the recent events could jeopardize the 2018 peace agreement, which ended a civil war that claimed the lives of around 400,000 people.
“Juba-based leaders must demonstrate their commitment to peaceful dialogue and should put the interest of the South Sudanese people first,” said a group embassies including the United States, Britain, and the European Union in a joint statement.
UNMISS also called on the parties to “adhere to their commitment to uphold the ceasefire and protect the integrity” of the peace agreement.
