3 die as rebels shoot down UN helicopter in South Sudan

A United Nations helicopter has been shot down in South Sudan. Authorities in the country say 3 people died in the crash but U. N. authorities are yet to confirm the deaths.

The crash comes after commander Peter Gadet had warned the U.N. last week not to fly over his territory.

The spokesman for the governor of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state, Akol Ayom Wek, said Gadet's forces shot down the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade.

The U.N. mission said that an Mi-8 cargo helicopter crashed near Bentiu, a hotly contested area between the government and rebel fighters. The U.N. said it was deeply concerned about the fate of its crew and that a search and rescue team had been sent to the site.

Wek said the U.N. response team reported finding three dead and one survivor at the crash site.
South Sudan has seen widespread violence since December between rebels loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar and government soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir.

Wek, who serves in a region loyal to Kiir, said the shoot-down by Gadet confirms that Machar has no control over him and other rebel fighters and commanders, calling into question Machar's role in negotiations as leader of the rebels.

Gadet, Wek said, was also responsible for impounding a U.N. helicopter over the weekend that was carrying a six-member verification team from the regional bloc called IGAD. One member of that team died while being held of natural causes.

"The government of South Sudan is profoundly disturbed by the loss of three UNMISS members who dedicated their lives to the service of humanity," Wek said.

Source: Associated Press