Flag of the Troika countries. (Courtesy).

The Embassies of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the Delegation of the European Union strongly condemn the March 7 attack on a United Nations helicopter in Nasir County, Upper Nile State, in which one crew member was killed and two others were seriously injured. 

“We equally condemn those who failed to respect the assurances of safe passage for the South Sudanese military personnel whom the helicopter crew were seeking to extract to safety”, the statement emailed to Eye Radio newsroom partially reads. 

The western ally embassies  expressed ‘our deepest sympathy to the families of those who were killed.”

The went on to call for urgent action by transitional government leaders, including from SPLM-IG and SPLM-IO, and direct dialogue at the highest level to prevent further violence and loss of life. 

“Leaders must put the interest of the South Sudanese people above their own political agendas,” the statement concludes.