In South Sudan, a UN helicopter evacuation was attacked, killing scores of people, including a general

A United Nations helicopter attempting to evacuate dozens of soldiers from the northern town of Nasir was attacked Friday, killing a South Sudanese general, according to the administration.

The UN described the episode as “utterly abhorrent” and a potential war crime, which might further destabilize an already precarious peace process.

Following fierce fighting in Nasir between national forces and the White Army militia—a group that President Salva Kiir’s administration has associated with forces loyal to his opponent and First Vice President Riek Machar—the U.N. team was attempting to airlift soldiers.

“Machar assured me and the U.N. representative that the general would be safe and that the rescue mission should fly to Nasir to evacuate him and his men,” Kiir stated in a national address announcing the deaths of General Majur Dak and other soldiers.

Michael Makuei, the minister of information, informed reporters that “approximately 27” soldiers had died. Among the dead was a member of the U.N. crew.

It was unclear at first whether the attack happened while the chopper was still on the ground or while it was in the air.

Puok Both Baluang, Machar’s spokesperson, refrained from commenting on the assault. In the past, Machar’s party has denied any role in the recent clashes in Nasir. According to Nicholas Haysom, the head of the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the attack was “utterly abhorrent” and might be considered a war crime under international law.

“We also regret that people we were trying to extract were killed, especially after receiving guarantees of safe passage. “UNMISS calls for an inquiry to identify the culprits and hold them accountable,” he stated.

Earlier this week, Machar’s spokesperson claimed that security forces had detained the minister of petroleum, the minister of peacebuilding, the deputy head of the army, and other high-ranking military officials who were allies of Machar. This could put the 2018 peace agreement that put an end to a civil war between Kiir’s and Machar’s forces in jeopardy.

According to Machar’s spokesperson, all of the imprisoned officials—aside from the minister of peacebuilding—remain in custody or under house arrest, and the administration has not responded to the detentions.

When Machar’s soldiers faced off against primarily ethnic Dinka troops loyal to Kiir in the 2013–2018 civil war, the White Army, which is primarily made up of armed youngsters from the Nuer ethnic group, fought alongside them.

Although observers have cautioned that the rising tensions could result in a full-fledged warfare, Kiir reaffirmed on Friday that the nation would not go back to war.

The United Nations issued a statement called on “all actors to refrain from further violence and for 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” .

Although there have been regular conflicts between competing communities, South Sudan has officially been at peace since the 2018 accord ended the five-year conflict that claimed an estimated 400,000 lives.

Shortly after South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, the United Nations mission there was founded. It employs over 20,000 peacekeepers from 73 nations.