A United Nations helicopter was attacked while on a rescue mission in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State on Friday.
The attack resulted in the death of a crew member and several soldiers, including a senior general, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) confirmed.
The helicopter was attempting to evacuate South Sudanese armed forces from the town of Nasir, where violent clashes between national troops and the White Army militia have intensified in recent weeks. The government has accused the militia of being linked to forces loyal to first vice president Riek Machar.
UNMISS strongly condemned the attack, calling it “utterly abhorrent” and warning that it could constitute a war crime. “We also regret the killing of those that we were attempting to extract, particularly when assurances of safe passage had been received,” said Nicholas Haysom, the UN’s Special Representative in South Sudan and Head of UNMISS. He urged an investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
The attack comes amid rising tensions in South Sudan, which has struggled to maintain peace since its 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and Machar ended a five-year civil war. In recent days, several senior officials linked to Machar—including the petroleum minister, the peacebuilding minister, and a deputy army chief—have reportedly been arrested, raising fears about the fragile peace deal.
While the government has not commented on the detentions, it has denied Machar’s party’s claims of involvement in the Nasir clashes.
President Kiir’s office announced that he would address the nation later on Friday. Meanwhile, UNMISS has called for calm and urged all parties to respect humanitarian operations.