South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has appealed for calm following a series of escalating political and security tensions, including the killing of a senior army commander in Nasir, Upper Nile state.
This comes after Major General Majur Dak, a commander of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), and several of his soldiers were killed during a United Nations evacuation operation in Nasir on Friday morning. A UN crew member also died in the incident.
President Kiir confirmed the deaths in a national address, stating that a UN helicopter came under heavy fire while attempting to airlift SSPDF troops following clashes between government forces and the White Army militia.
The White Army, an armed youth group largely drawn from the Nuer ethnic group, has been linked by the government to forces loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar.
“Two UN planes flew to Nasir to evacuate the general and his officers, but they came under heavy fire. We have lost General Majur Dak and all the officers. Only one pilot survived, and one plane managed to take off but later crash-landed in Malakal, killing all passengers on board,” President Kiir said.
The incident has heightened tensions in a country still recovering from a five-year civil war that ended in 2018. The White Army fought alongside forces loyal to Mr. Machar during the conflict, which pitted rival factions against each other and left hundreds of thousands dead.
Political Arrests Fuel Tensions
The killings in Nasir follow the arrest on Tuesday of several officials affiliated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), including Gabriel Duop Lam, deputy chief of the SSPDF and chief of staff of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), as well as Petroleum Minister Puot Kang.
The detentions, which took place in the capital, Juba, have raised concerns about a deepening political rift within the unity government formed under the 2018 peace agreement. President Kiir has not yet commented on the arrests.
Appeal for Calm
In his address, President Kiir urged citizens to remain calm and reiterated his commitment to peace, vowing not to return the country to war.
“The government I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast on the path of peace. My condolences to the families of General Majur Dak and his men. They died in service to our nation. May their souls rest in peace. I call for calm nationwide,” he said.
The recent violence and political unrest have raised fears of a potential relapse into conflict in the world’s youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011.