South Sudan general among dozens killed in attack on UN helicopter evacuation

A South Sudanese general and at least two dozen soldiers were killed on March 7 when a United Nations helicopter, dispatched to evacuate them from the northern town of Nasir, came under attack, the South Sudanese government confirmed.

The UN condemned the assault, describing the incident as "utterly abhorrent" and warning that it could amount to a war crime under international law, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The mission was part of an effort to airlift soldiers following intense clashes in Nasir between national forces and the White Army militia, a group associated with forces loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar, an opponent of President Salva Kiir's administration.

In an address to the nation, President Kiir announced the deaths of General Majur Dak and several other soldiers. He stated that Machar had personally reassured both him and the UN representative of Dak's safety and had given assurances that the evacuation mission should proceed to Nasir.

Michael Makuei, the country’s Information Minister, confirmed that "approximately 27" soldiers were killed in the attack. A UN crew member was also among the casualties, though it is unclear whether the helicopter was struck mid-flight or while on the ground.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has expressed its outrage, with Nicholas Haysom, head of the mission, calling the attack “utterly abhorrent” and urging a full investigation. He emphasized that the killings of the soldiers they had been attempting to extract were particularly tragic, given that "assurances of safe passage had been received."

"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," Haysom added.

Despite repeated denials of involvement in the recent violence in Nasir, Machar’s spokesperson, Puok Both Baluang, declined to comment on the attack. Earlier this week, Machar’s party claimed that security forces had arrested several high-ranking officials allied with Machar, including the petroleum and peacebuilding ministers, as well as the deputy head of the army. These detentions, according to Machar’s team, threaten the fragile peace agreement that ended South Sudan’s civil war in 2018.

The White Army, a predominantly Nuer ethnic militia, had fought alongside Machar’s forces during the 2013-2018 civil war, which saw widespread ethnic violence between the Nuer and Dinka communities loyal to Kiir. The ongoing violence in Nasir, coupled with the tensions in the capital, has raised concerns that the country could descend back into full-scale conflict.

Kiir, however, insisted in his address that South Sudan would not return to war. Nonetheless, analysts have warned that the escalating tensions between the government and Machar’s forces could threaten the hard-won peace.

The UN has urged both sides to de-escalate the situation. A statement called for "all actors to refrain from further violence" and urged the country's leaders to "urgently intervene to resolve tensions through dialogue and ensure that the security situation in Nasir, and more broadly, does not deteriorate."

South Sudan has officially been at peace since the 2018 agreement, which ended a five-year civil war that resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths. However, violence and clashes between rival communities remain a persistent challenge.

The UN mission in South Sudan, established shortly after the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011, continues to deploy nearly 20,000 peacekeepers from 73 countries to maintain stability in the war-torn nation.

By Vafa Guliyeva