JUBA, March 3 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has condemned an ambush by unidentified armed elements targeting a peacekeeping convoy along the border between Jonglei State and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA).

In a statement issued on Monday, the UN mission said its engineering contingent, escorted by armed peacekeepers, came under fire at an unauthorized roadblock while traveling from Akobo in Jonglei to Pibor in the GPAA.

Peacekeepers responded in self-defense, in accordance with their mandate and rules of engagement, the statement said, adding that no UN personnel were injured.

"Attacks against our peacekeepers are unacceptable," said Anita Kiki Gbeho, officer in charge of UNMISS, urging authorities to undertake a swift, thorough, and impartial investigation to ensure those responsible are held to account.

UNMISS stressed that attacks directed against UN peacekeepers may constitute a war crime.

The incident comes amid renewed clashes between the South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army-In-Opposition (SPLA-IO) in parts of Jonglei and the GPAA since February.

Tensions between the two forces escalated after an attack on the SSPDF base in Nasir, Upper Nile State, in March 2025 by the White Army, a militia which the government claimed to be linked to the SPLA-IO. ■