UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations said yesterday that two Indian peacekeepers were killed and one badly wounded when attackers stormed a base in South Sudan on Thursday.
Confirmation of the deaths came just ahead of UN Security Council emergency talks on the crisis in South Sudan, where troops loyal to President Salva Kiir are battling soldiers who follow former vice president Riek Machar. “We can confirm that two UNMISS Indian battalion troops were killed in action,” said a statement by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on the attack at Akobo in Jonglei state.
On Thursday, India’s UN ambassador had said three peacekeepers were killed.
The UN said a third Indian peacekeeper had been taken to another base at Malakal in Jonglei. At the time of the attack, 43 Indian peacekeepers, six UN police advisers and two UN civilian staffers were present at the base. About 30 South Sudanese had sought shelter from the turmoil plaguing areas of Akobo County, the Mission said in a statement.
“UNMISS condemns in the strongest terms the violence that occurred in Akobo and continues in other parts of the country,” said the statement.
“We call on all parties to the crisis to refrain from further violence and seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis,” it added.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: “Bad news from UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). 2 Indian peacekeepers lose their lives at Akobo in Jonglei State. RIP”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “appalled” to learn of the attack on the UNMISS base in Akobo and demanded that the government and opposition forces respect the rights of civilians and ensure their safety and security.
In Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said an estimated 20,000 people, mainly women and children, are still camped at UN premises in Juba.
Agencies
