March 04, 2025 07:13 am (IST)
Follow us:
South Sudan: UN condemns attack on convoy carrying aid
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has strongly condemned Thursday's attack on a convoy of barges delivering urgently needed food and fuel supplies to its base in Malakal in Upper Nile state.
The four barges were traveling on the Nile River near the town of Tonga when they came under small arms fire this morning, according to a news release issued by the Mission (UNMISS). Rocket-propelled grenades were later fired at the convoy.
Four crew members and UNMISS peacekeepers were wounded during the incident. The Mission has not yet established the identity of the assailants.
The convoy was carrying food rations for UN personnel and internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently living in the UNMISS compound to the north of Malakal, as well as diesel and jet fuel. The Mission said all clearances were obtained from the relevant authorities prior to the convoy’s departure six days ago.
“The Mission is satisfied that it did everything possible to safeguard both the cargo of this four-barge convoy and also notify all the appropriate authorities,” spokesperson Joseph Contreras told UN Radio.
He added that both Government forces – the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) – and the opposition SPLA forces have denied any responsibility for this attack, and they both indicated that none of their forces were present in the vicinity of Tonga, where the attack took place.
UNMISS once again called on the main parties to the conflict in South Sudan to comply with the cessation of hostilities agreement they signed in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa in January and also respect the inviolability of UN assets and facilities in the country.
The past 10 days have witnessed an escalation in attacks, with anti-Government forces killing hundreds of South Sudanese and foreign civilians after determining their ethnicity or nationality when they captured Bentiu, the capital of Unity state last week. Violence also broke out in Bor, the war-torn capital of Jonglei state, when a mob of armed civilians forced their way into an UNMISS facility and opened fire on displaced persons sheltering inside.
Some 870,000 civilians have been uprooted during the four-month-old conflict, 78,000 of whom are seeking protection in 8 UNMISS bases around the country. This includes 32,000 people in Juba, more than 18,000 in Malakal, more than 22,000 in Bentiu, and more than 4,800 in Bor.
With peace talks in Addis Ababa set to resume later this month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday made phone calls to heads of State or government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to express his support for their efforts in bringing President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and opposition leader Riek Machar to the negotiating table.
“The Secretary-General feels that the two parties need to be strongly warned of the consequences of their actions before the country descends into yet further violence,” said his spokesperson.
[Residents at the camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) at the UN Mission for South Sudan (UNMISS) Malakal Base in the Upper Nile State wait in line at the base's health facility. UN Photo/Isaac Billy]
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
Germany: Car ramming attack in Mannheim leaves one dead
Mon, Mar 03 2025
One dies in stabbing incident in Israel's Haifa
Mon, Mar 03 2025
Zelenskyy still ready to sign minerals deal with US despite White House spat with Trump
Mon, Mar 03 2025
UK PM Keir Starmer announces USD 2 billion package for Ukraine to help in buying missiles
Mon, Mar 03 2025
British man puts fake pair of legs in large pothole to highlight problem of his village
Sun, Mar 02 2025
Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu's office admits staff did not pass information ahead of Hamas attack
Sun, Mar 02 2025
UK PM Keir Starmer welcomes Volodymyr Zelenskyy in London a day after verbal spat with Donald Trump
Sun, Mar 02 2025
Israel endorses plan to extend Gaza ceasefire to observe Ramzan
Sun, Mar 02 2025