Two UN peacekeepers and some civilians in South Sudan have been killed after young armed men identified as Nuers forced themselves into the compound of UNMISS in Akobo in Jonglei on Thursday.
The civilians were Dinka coming to seek refuge. The UN peacekeepers were Indian, India’s UN envoy Asoke Mukerji told the UN peacekeeping department in New York last night that three Indians were killed, but one happened only to be wounded. At the time of the attack there were 43 Indian peacekeepers at the compound in Akobo.
The UN confirmed Thursday that the UNMISS base in Akobo was breached and some lives were lost. The number of casualties is still not known. According to the UN spokesman in New York, Farhan Haq, 32 civilians had fled to the UNMISS compound last night (Wednesday).
Deputy UN Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the press that “Our base in Akobo, Jonglei State, was attacked and we have reports that lives are lost. We don’t have the details of that yet.”
UN spokesman Farhan Haq added that the “situation in Jonglei has deteriorated. In Akobo, earlier today, where civilians have gathered, including 32 as of last night, Lou Nuer youth have reportedly forced an entry into the UNMISS Temporary Operating Base to reach to those civilians.”
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is planning to extract unarmed UN personnel from Akobo and to send additional 60 armed troops from Malakal on Friday.
Violence in the area of Akobo between the Luo Nuer and Murle tribes began several years ago, displacing around 60,000 according to a UN estimate.
(Sources: Reuters, UN)