Ethiopian Embassy Demands Justice After Two Peacekeepers Slain in Ambush
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — The Ethiopian Embassy in Juba has issued a call for South Sudanese authorities to launch a formal investigation after two Ethiopian peacekeepers were killed in an ambush while serving under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Through an official statement released via its social media channels, the embassy extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen “Blue Helmets,” honoring their service and wishing a full and speedy recovery to three other Ethiopian soldiers who sustained injuries during the attack.
The incident occurred while an UNMISS peacekeeper patrol was en route to Pajut, a town in Jonglei State. Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the multi-vehicle convoy in what international officials described as a deliberate, targeted attack.
The ambush resulted in two fatalities among Ethiopian personnel and left seven individuals wounded:
- Troop Casualties: 3 Ethiopian peacekeepers.
- Host Country Forces: 2 South Sudan National Police Service officers.
- Support Personnel: 2 UN civilian staff members.
Following the assault, UNMISS deployed a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area and execute emergency medical evacuations.
Jonglei State remains one of South Sudan’s most volatile administrative regions, frequently experiencing communal friction, cattle-raiding clashes, and armed youth militia activity. Ethiopian military contingents form a cornerstone of the 12,000-strong UNMISS peacekeeping force, regularly providing security escorts for vulnerable local communities and critical relief distribution efforts across high-risk corridors.
The fatal ambush sparked strong reactions across the diplomatic community: UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, reminding all parties that targeting international peacekeepers constitutes a potential war crime under international humanitarian law. He called for effective prosecution of those responsible.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that this ambush raises the total number of peacekeepers killed in malicious attacks.
Special Representative and Head of UNMISS Anita Kiki Gbeho denounced the violence, emphasizing that targeting personnel who operate under neutral flags to safeguard civilian populations remains entirely intolerable.
Ethiopia shares a deep historical and geographic bond with South Sudan, maintaining one of the longest and largest operational commitments to peace in the young nation:
- Ethiopian troops have been deployed in South Sudan since the inception of UNMISS in July 2011, following the country’s independence. Ethiopian peacekeepers also formed the core of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) along the contested border.
- Over the past decade, Ethiopia has consistently ranked among the world’s top contributors of UN blue helmets, at peak periods deploying between 1,500 and over 2,000 military personnel directly under the UNMISS banner in South Sudan alongside thousands more in neighboring Abyei.
- Beyond frontline protection of civilians in Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile states, Ethiopian contingents provide vital engineering capabilities, medical assistance, and convoy security for humanitarian aid across flooded and remote terrains.
Ethiopian diplomatic representatives and UNMISS security details continue to coordinate with South Sudanese security organs to facilitate field inquiries and track down those responsible for the attack.
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