TWO UN PEACEKEEPERS KILLED IN SOUTH SUDAN AMBUSH

Two United Nations peacekeepers were killed and seven other individuals sustained injuries following an ambush by unidentified gunmen in Jonglei state, South Sudan, on Monday. The patrol was travelling towards Pajut when it came under fire. Among the injured were three peacekeepers, two members of the South Sudanese police, and two civilian staff attached to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The UN mission dispatched a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and provide emergency assistance. The names and nationalities of the two killed peacekeepers have not been made public.

South Sudan remains marked by widespread instability. Government forces are in conflict with fighters aligned with opposition leader Riek Machar, who was suspended as vice president last year following charges of treason that he characterises as politically motivated. A peace accord signed in 2018 by President Salva Kiir and Machar, who is currently held under house arrest, has substantially unravelled. According to UN-compiled statistics, recorded acts of violence targeting aid workers and humanitarian assets numbered more than 450 between January and July, more than double the figure for the same period last year.

Anita Kiki Gbeho, head of UNMISS, condemned the assault, stating that deadly violence targeting UN personnel supporting peace efforts is unacceptable. Fighting escalated in December when opposition groups captured government positions across Jonglei. Government troops launched a counteroffensive in January involving ground strikes and aerial bombardments, notwithstanding an official commitment to the peace agreement. The United States has called for renewed negotiations between Kiir and Machar to reduce the risk of civil war.