Ambush in South Sudan kills peacekeeping troops

Key Points:

• Two United Nations peacekeepers were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by armed men near Pajut in Jonglei state, South Sudan, according to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
• The attack also injured two South Sudanese police officers and two civilian staff attached to the mission, prompting UNMISS to deploy a Quick Reaction Force to secure the area.
• Violence against humanitarian workers has surged in South Sudan this year, with over 450 attacks recorded from January to July, more than double the previous year, amid escalating conflict between government forces and opposition loyal to Riek Machar.
• The 2018 power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Machar has collapsed, increasing fears that South Sudan is sliding toward full-scale civil war after months of intensified fighting and political instability.
• The United States continues to urge both parties to return to dialogue and uphold peace to prevent further escalation of the conflict.