By Deng Heskey
JUBA, South Sudan – South Sudan President Salva Kiir on Friday urged the public to remain calm amid growing tensions as he announced the killing of his senior commander of the South Sudan’s People Defence Forces (SSPDF) in Nasir, several soldiers, and UNMISS personnel by armed youth allied Vice president Riek Machar.
General Majur Dak, a prominent military figure, who took refuge in a military tank following the White army overrun of the SSPDF garrison in the country’s north earlier this week was killed alongside 27 soldiers.
The incident occurred during a complex evacuation operation involving two United Nations helicopters dispatched to extract the General from a war zone.
Addressing the press conference, President Kiir said they were killed during an attempted evacuation by the United Nations, despite assurances from Machar to him and the UN that the General and his forces would be safely evacuated from the area.
Before the killing, Kiir said Machar requested the Commander of the army in Nasir to surrender, but Gen. Majur refused.
“I am therefore informing the nation that in this process, we have lost General Major Dak and all the officers,” Kiir told the journalists in Juba’s capital.
According to the President, only one pilot survived, and one of the planes managed to take off. However, it crash-landed in Malakal, killing all the passengers that were on board.
The army group, which President Kiir said were commanded by the former rebel leader, turned Vice President Machar’s army officer overran the national army based garrison in the strategic town of Nasir in the country’s north – 30 kilometers from the border to Ethiopia in what world leaders warned could lead to an end of 2018 peace deal.
However, Kiir’s camp has arrested some of Dr. Machar’s senior politicians and military officers due to the fall of the Nasir to the army group, but the government has said that they were arrested for breaking the law.
President Kiir urged citizens to remain calm, stressing that his government would not allow South Sudan to slide back into war.
“I have said time and again that our country will not go back to war. Let no one take the law into their hands,” said Kiir, adding that his government would handle the crisis and remain committed to the peace process.
“We will remain steadfast in the path of peace,” said Kiir.
