A UN helicopter came under fire during an attempt to evacuate wounded South Sudanese soldiers in Upper Nile state, resulting in several deaths, according to a statement from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (Unmiss). The attack led to the death of one crew member on board, while an injured South Sudanese general and multiple troops were also killed during the evacuation attempt.

The UN has condemned the attack, stating that it "may constitute a war crime under international law." Nicholas Haysom, head of Unmiss, described the incident as "utterly abhorrent" and expressed condolences for the victims.

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir later stated that a second helicopter crashed after taking off, killing all passengers. However, Unmiss has clarified that both its aircraft successfully landed in Malakal. The country’s Information Minister, Michael Makuei, reported that 27 South Sudanese soldiers were killed in total.

The ongoing clashes in Upper Nile involve government forces and the White Army, an ethnic militia that previously supported Vice-President Riek Machar during the country’s civil war. Unmiss had been assisting in the evacuation of wounded soldiers following an agreement with both sides.

The conflict threatens South Sudan’s fragile peace agreement, signed in 2018 to end a five-year civil war that claimed 400,000 lives and displaced millions. Tensions have escalated with recent arrests of Machar’s allies, including the country’s oil minister and a senior military officer.

President Kiir has urged citizens to remain calm, assuring that the government will address the crisis. "I have said time and again that our country would not go back to war. Let no one take the law into their own hands," he stated.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, continues to face political instability and armed violence despite efforts to maintain peace.