UN helicopter attacked in South Sudan amid escalating tensions

JUBA, South Sudan - A United Nations (UN) helicopter was attacked in South Sudan on Friday, officials said, just as tensions build up in Africa's youngest nation, with President Salva Kiir insisting that the country would not afford to 'go back to war'.

Kiir's team is at loggerheads with his First Vice President Riek Machar, with the center of controversy being the shaky power-sharing deal. Clashes were reported in the northeastern state of Upper Nile State.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said its team was attempting to extract members of the South Sudanese army from the area when its helicopter came under fire, killing a crew member and seriously injuring two others, VOA reports.

In a statement, the UNMISS said a South Sudanese army general and several other officers were killed in the failed mission. Kiir urged citizens to remain calm, stating: "I have said it time and again that our country will not go back to war. Let no one take the law into their hands."

"The government that I lead will handle this crisis. We will remain steadfast in the path of peace," he added.

The civil war ended in 2018 after an agreement between Salva Kiir and Riek Machar was signed. But tensions between the two parties have increased in recent months, with Kiir's team accusing Machar of using the White Army to cause tensions.

Late Friday, local media reported a statement from Machar's office that condemned the "barbaric act."

Efforts to "restore peace in the region remain a top priority," the statement added, with Machar "continuing to engage all stakeholders to prevent further violence."

"The attack on UNMISS personnel is utterly abhorrent and may constitute a war crime under international law," said the head of UNMISS Nicholas Haysom. "We also regret the killing of those that we were attempting to extract," he added.

U.N. secretary-general spokesperson Stephane Dujarric urged an investigation "to determine those responsible and hold them accountable."

The government arrested Petroleum Minister Puot Kang Chol, Deputy Army Chief General Gabriel Duop Lam, and Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol over the tensions. The war has caused significant displacement of civilians and casualties.

GAROWE ONLINE