South Sudan general among 28 killed in Nasir helicopter attack

JUBA, South Sudan 

A South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) commander, Major General Majur Dak (pictured), and 27 of his soldiers were killed during a United Nations evacuation operation in Nasir on Friday morning, a government spokesperson has said.

A UN crew member also lost their life in the incident.

The evacuation was part of efforts to defuse tensions following recent clashes between the SSPDF and the White Army, a loosely organized armed youth group predominantly from the Nuer ethnic community. It has been linked by the government to SPLA-IO forces loyal to Dr. Riek Machar.

The White Army had seized control of Nasir’s military barracks on Tuesday after fierce fighting with government forces, leaving Gen. Majur and his troops stranded in the bush.

The UN helicopter involved in the evacuation reportedly came under heavy fire from the White Army during the operation. The evacuation had been coordinated by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO), led by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, as part of an initiative to rescue stranded SSPDF troops.

The SSPDF leadership has accused SPLM-IO leaders of orchestrating the conflict in Nasir, a claim that has further strained relations between the two groups. In response to the allegations, several senior SPLM-IO officials were arrested in Juba earlier this week, including Gabriel Duop Lam, deputy chief of the SSPDF and chief of staff of the SPLA-IO, as well as Petroleum Minister Puot Kang.

Responding to questions by journalists in Juba on Friday evening, Information Minister and Government spokesperson,  Michael Makuei Lueth stated that the exact number of casualties on the SSPDF side remains unclear, but confirmed that approximately 27 soldiers died alongside Gen. Majur during the evacuation in Nasir this morning.

“Some of the forces have appeared elsewhere and are being traced,” he added.

The violence in Nasir highlights the ongoing challenges South Sudan faces in fully integrating its various armed groups into a unified national army, a key provision of the 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year civil war.

Although the country has been formally at peace since the agreement was signed by President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, political tensions remain high.