MOSCOW: Russia urged South Sudan yesterday to punish those responsible for shooting down a UN peacekeeping helicopter and killing all four Russian crew members aboard, in an attack condemned by the international community.
“We call on the government of South Sudan to carry out the necessary investigation, punish the guilty and take every measure to guarantee that this never happens again,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website after Friday’s incident.
A South Sudan military spokesman said troops fired anti-aircraft guns at the Russian Mi-8 believing it was a rebel helicopter carrying weapons to anti-government forces in the world’s newest country.
The United Nations said the aircraft was hit while on a “reconnaissance flight” over the Likuangole district of the eastern Jonglei state. “The tragic event in this African country raises with new urgency the question of the security of UN peacekeeping missions,” the Russian ministry said, attributing the helicopter downing to “blunders.”
“The governments of countries that accept missions and carry the main responsibility for the security of UN peacekeepers must approach this problem with all seriousness and recognise all the possible consequences of blunders,” it said.
It cited South Sudan officials as saying the helicopter was downed “despite the fact that the UN mission informed the local command about the planned flight as usual.” “The mission was guaranteed complete safety,” the ministry said.
Russian television named the men who died as commander Sergei Ilyin, second pilot Alfir Abrarov, flight engineer Sergei Yegorov and cabin attendant and radio operator Nikolai Shpanov.
UN leader Ban Ki-moon, as well as the UN Security Council and the United States had vehemently condemned the attack.
He said Friday it was a “clearly marked” UN aircraft and demanded that those responsible be brought to account.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said in a statement yesterday that she “deplores” the attack and “calls on the government of South Sudan to give full cooperation in the investigation of this very serious incident”.
AFP
