KAMPALA, Uganda — A crew member was killed and two others were injured when a United Nations helicopter on an evacuation mission in a remote part of South Sudan was attacked on Friday, the U.N. mission in South Sudan said, as violence escalated in fighting that threatens a fragile peace deal between the country's top two leaders.
The attack took place in the Nasir area of South Sudan's Upper Nile state, according to UNMISS, which said in a statement that the helicopter “came under fire" as it attempted to evacuate government troops from the area.
Several soldiers and their commanding officer in Nasir, Gen. Majur Dak, were among those killed in the attack, President Salva Kiir said in a statement late Friday.
“I am appealing to you to remain calm,” his statement said. “The government which I lead will handle this crisis and we will remain steadfast in the path of peace."
Nasir has seen violence in recent days as government troops clashed with an armed group, known as the White Army, that some believe is allied with South Sudanese Vice President Riek Machar. The military garrison in Nasir was attacked on March 4, leaving Dak and his men trapped in tanks and trenches.
The U.N.-affiliated Radio Miraya reported that the White Army was suspected of involvement in Friday's attack on the U.N. helicopter sent to Nasir to rescue Dak and his remaining soldiers.
Friday's evacuation was part of U.N. efforts to de-escalate political tensions and prevent violence in Nasir, UNMISS said, noting that the mission was undertaken at the request of the warring parties.
The fighting in Nasir threatens a 2018 peace deal signed between Machar and Kiir to end a five-year civil war in which more than 400,000 people were killed. Machar serves as the country's first vice president in a government of national unity, even though his political group opposes Kiir.
The political rivalry between the two men is widely seen as a major obstacle to peace in South Sudan, with Kiir suspicious of his deputy's ambitions and Machar calling Kiir a dictator.
Kiir has angered Machar's group in recent weeks by firing officials seen as loyal to Machar, who charged that "persistent violations through unilateral decisions and decrees threaten the very existence” of the 2018 agreement.
Government troops earlier this week surrounded Machar’s home in the capital, Juba, and several of his allies were arrested after the White Army overran the military base in Nasir. Deputy army chief Gen. Gabriel Duop Lam was among those detained earlier this week.
“Juba-based leaders must demonstrate their commitment to peaceful dialogue and should put the interest of the South Sudanese people first,” the U.S. and others in the international community said in a statement that called for an immediate cessation of hostilities following arrests in the capital.
The latest statement from UNMISS urged “all actors to refrain from further violence and the country’s leaders to urgently work together to resolve tensions.”
There were high hopes for peace and stability after oil-rich South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. But the country slid into civil war in December 2013 largely based on ethnic divisions when forces loyal to Kiir started battling those loyal to Machar.
Kiir and Machar are under pressure from the United States and others to more quickly implement the 2018 peace deal and prepare for elections.
Challenges include the government’s failure to implement promised reforms such as completing the unification of the army command.
Presidential elections, repeatedly postponed, are now scheduled for 2026.
