A UN helicopter was attacked while attempting to evacuate troops in South Sudan, resulting in death and injury. The incident occurred amid ongoing violent clashes involving the White Army militia, linked to Riek Machar, and government forces. UNMISS condemned the attack as abhorrent and potentially a war crime, calling for accountability. The tension is exacerbated by recent arrests of senior officials associated with Machar, raising concerns about the stability of the peace process and the fragile security situation in the region, where ethnic divisions remain significant.
The attack is utterly abhorrent and may constitute a war crime under international law, said Nicholas Haysom, the head of UNMISS. We also regret the killing of those that we were attempting to extract, particularly when assurances of safe passage had been received.
The White Army, whose members are mostly from the Nuer ethnic group, fought alongside Machar's forces in the 2013-2018 civil war that pitted them against predominantly ethnic Dinka troops loyal to Kiir.
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