An Ethiopian peacekeeper has died from injuries sustained in an ambush in South Sudan last month that killed two other peacekeepers, the United Nations said on Monday.
The UN patrol was attacked by unidentified armed men on Aug. 24 while travelling to Pajut in eastern Jonglei state, an area affected by persistent armed and intercommunal violence.
Two Ethiopian peacekeepers were killed and seven other people were injured, including three Ethiopian peacekeepers, two South Sudan National Police Service personnel and two UN civilian staff, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said at the time.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that UNMISS had reported that one of the wounded Ethiopian peacekeepers had died from his injuries.
“The tragic loss is a stark reminder of the difficult and often dangerous conditions that our peacekeepers serve in,” Dujarric said.
The United Nations has called for a prompt investigation into the attack, saying attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 but descended into civil war in 2013. A 2018 peace agreement ended the main phase of the conflict, although implementation has been repeatedly delayed and violence has continued in parts of the country.
The government of President Salva Kiir Mayardit plans to hold the country’s first general elections since independence on Dec. 22.
On Monday, Kiir signed amendments to the National Elections Act into law, hours after parliament passed them, clearing a legal step ahead of the planned polls.
The amended law allows the incumbent president to remain in office with full constitutional powers throughout the election period. It also allows the president to dismiss the First Vice President, other four vice presidents and dissolve the transitional government three months before elections.
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