In brief
On March 7, 2025, gunmen attacked a United Nations helicopter in Upper Nile State, resulting in one crew member's death and injuries to two others.
The helicopter was engaged in an evacuation operation for wounded South Sudanese soldiers when it encountered fire from an armed faction known as the White Army. The U.N. confirmed that the soldiers they intended to rescue were also killed, but it remains unclear if the helicopter was airborne or on the ground during the assault. This incident comes at a time of escalating political tension in South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, with fears of a potential return to civil strife. In a public address, President Salva Kiir urged restraint, asserting that his government would manage the unrest. Critics, however, argue that both Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar are instrumental in the country's crisis. The fragile power-sharing arrangement between Kiir and Machar, established to end a previous civil war in 2018, is on the verge of breakdown as clashes between their factions intensify, particularly in Upper Nile State. The South Sudanese information minister reported that 27 soldiers were killed in the helicopter attack but did not offer further specifics, and independent verification of this figure remains pending.
