The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Monday condemned an ambush by unidentified armed men on its peacekeeping convoy along the border between Jonglei state and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
The mission said the attack occurred Sunday as an engineering contingent, escorted by military peacekeepers, was traveling from Akobo in Jonglei to Pibor in the Greater Pibor area. The convoy was stopped at an unauthorized roadblock and later came under fire.
Peacekeepers returned fire in self-defense in line with their mandate and rules of engagement, the mission said. No U.N. personnel were injured.
“Attacks against our peacekeepers are unacceptable,” said Anita Kiki Gbeho, the mission’s officer-in-charge. She called on authorities to carry out a swift, thorough and impartial investigation and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The mission reiterated that attacks targeting U.N. peacekeepers may constitute a war crime under international law.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the ambush.
South Sudan is currently facing a volatile mix of escalating armed conflict, a stalled political transition, and a deepening humanitarian crisis that observers warn could tip the country back into full-scale war.