The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has condemned the killing today of a South Sudanese staff member in Abiemnhom in the Ruweng Administrative Area, close to the border with Warrap State and Abyei on Tuesday 5 March 2024.
Charles Kiir Gone, a heavy vehicle operator, was serving with the peacekeeping mission in Wau. He was reportedly killed during an attack by armed men on a relative’s home in Abiemnhom, where he was staying.
UNMISS expresses its deepest condolences to Mr. Kiir’s family, friends, and his colleagues and urges local and State authorities to immediately investigate the incident.
“We are shocked and saddened by the killing of our colleague and offer our sincere sympathy to his loved ones for their tragic loss. This incident illustrates the real and ongoing threat to the lives of UN peacekeepers supporting South Sudan on its journey towards peace as well as members of the communities we serve,” said Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and head of UNMISS.
“We call on South Sudanese authorities to investigate this heinous crime and do their utmost to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” he added.
On Saturday 27 January, inter-communal violence took place in several locations in Abyei, a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, with 17 civilian deaths and 83 casualties with gunshot wounds preliminary reported as well as the death of a United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA) peacekeeper from Ghana. Civilians fled to UNISFA bases to seek for safety.
The attacks affect the delivery of health and nutrition services in the area.
South Sudan remained the most dangerous operational context for humanitarian workers, with Haiti and Ukraine newly joining the group of countries with the highest number of incidents, according to the Aid Workers Security Report.
