South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) Commander, Major General Majur Dak, was on Friday killed along with 27 of his soldiers during a United Nations evacuation operation in Nasir.
Speaking to the press on Friday, Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth confirmed that General Majur was killed alongside his 27 soldiers and a humanitarian aid. He however did not conclusively name the exact number of Humanitarian casualties.
According to a government spokesperson, the United Nations helicopter was deployed to rescue stranded soldiers led by the slain general.
He reiterated that account incidence remains unclear but the army responded swiftly and some of the suspected forces involved have since dispersed and are being pursued.
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in a statement confirmed that its helicopter was used to conduct evacuations at the request of all parties in an effort to prevent escalation of political tension in the area.
The evacuation was part of efforts to ease tensions following recent clashes between the SSPDF and the White Army, an armed youth group mainly from the Nuer ethnic community. The White Army is believed to have connections to the SPLA-IO, the opposition forces loyal to Dr. Riek Machar.
Earlier this month, the White Army seized control of Nasir’s military barracks after intense fighting with government forces leaving General Majur and his troops stranded in the bush, prompting the UN’s intervention.
During the operation, the UN helicopter came under heavy fire from White Army forces. The mission, coordinated by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Dr. RiekMachar, and aimed to rescue the stranded SSPDF soldiers.
The SSPDF leadership has accused the SPLM-IO of inciting the violence in Nasir, exacerbating already tense relations between the two groups. In response, several senior SPLM-IO officials, including Gabriel Duop Lam, deputy chief of the SSPDF and SPLA-IO chief of staff, and Petroleum Minister Puot Kang, were arrested in Juba earlier this week.
The violence in Nasir underscores the ongoing challenges South Sudan faces in fully integrating its armed groups into a unified national army; one of the key stipulations of the 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war.
Though South Sudan has formally been at peace since the signing of the agreement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, political tensions remain high, and security issues continue to plague the country.
