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Anita Kiki Gbeho reports that two United Nations peacekeepers were killed during an ambush in South Sudan's Jonglei state.

Two United Nations peacekeepers from Ethiopia were killed and seven others were injured during an ambush by unidentified armed men in South Sudan's Jonglei state on Monday. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) deployed a quick reaction force to secure the area and support the emergency response. Anita Kiki Gbeho, the head of UNMISS, described the violence targeting personnel serving to support peace in the country as unacceptable. She called on relevant authorities to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice. The attack occurs as South Sudan faces a risk of sliding into a full-scale civil war following the breakdown of a 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar. While attacks on UN personnel are rare, the UN has noted that violence against humanitarian workers has increased significantly this year. The UN also stressed that such attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

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