India, UN chief condemn killing of peacekeepers in South Sudan
United Nations: India and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have condemned the killing of two Ethiopian peacekeepers serving in South Sudan and demanded immediate action to ensure accountability for the attack.
India’s UN mission on Monday said in a post on X, ” We pay tribute to the fallen Ethiopian Blue Helmets”.
The two peacekeepers deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were killed when their patrol was ambushed on Monday in Jonglei state, Guterres’ Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
Three peacekeepers, two South Sudan police officers and two civilian staff with UNMISS were injured in the attack, he said.
UNMISS said it “deployed a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and support the emergency response”.
The UN has not identified the attackers pending investigations.
“We condemn the attack carried out on UN peacekeepers deployed with UNMISS”, India’s mission said.
“India reiterates the fundamental importance of respecting the sanctity and inviolability of UN premises and personnel”, it added.
Dujarric said Guterres condemns the attack “in the strongest possible terms”.
While demanding prompt investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the ambush, “the Secretary-General reminds that attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes”, he added.
“Such deadly violence targeting UNMISS personnel who are serving to support peace in South Sudan is unacceptable”, said Anita Kiki Gbeho, the special representative of Guterres and the head of UNMISS.
The Indian Mission’s post said New Delhi “urges full adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 2589 on Accountability for Crimes against Peacekeepers, and calls for an immediate and thorough investigation into this attack to bring the perpetrators to justice, and ensure full accountability”.
As part of its “Protecting the Protectors” initiative, India proposed the resolution when it was the Security Council president in August 2021 with over 80 co-sponsors, and it was unanimously adopted.
India has a special interest in protecting peacekeepers as it is the largest contributor of troops to UN operations and has recorded the deaths of 161 of them, 17 in UNMISS.
The 1,775 Indian peacekeepers made up the largest contingent deployed with UNMISS as of May this year, the latest period for which statistics were available.
The US embassy in South Sudan capital Juba said the attack was carried out by “armed youth”.
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) stepped up fighting the country’s military since last December in Jonglei.
The SPLA-IO owes its allegiance to Riek Machar, a former vice president now imprisoned and facing treason charges.
