UN Peacekeepers Killed in South Sudan - Yahoo! News

Reuters reported on Wednesday that five United Nations peacekeepers and seven civilians were killed by unidentified attackers Tuesday in Jonglei state, South Sudan.

In addition, a prominent human rights group tried to encourage South Sudan to end the use of the death penalty as a deterrent to crime.

Here is a closer look at the current situation in South Sudan.

12 dead, 9 injured in attack

The five peacekeepers were identified as having all been Indian, according to Reuters, while the nationalities of the seven civilians remained unidentified.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission was attacked by numerous unidentified assailants who outnumbered the 32-member convoy, according to the report.

Jonglei has seen many deaths in recent months, including 150 people killed during battles between the South Sudanese military and insurgents led by local rebel leader David Yau Yau.

Diplomats condemn attacks

State Department Acting Deputy Spokesperson Patrick Ventrell opened his Tuesday press briefing by commenting on the deaths, condemning the attack, and offering America's condolences to the victim's families. "As you know, India has long been a leading supporter of UN peacekeeping operations, a fact we recognize and applaud," Ventrell added.

In France, a similar statement was released by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, who said that "France reaffirms its full support for the action of the UN Mission in South Sudan as well as for the states that contribute, through their participation, to consolidating peace in this country. We pay tribute to India's major contribution to the UN peacekeeping troops and extend our wholehearted condolences to the Indian government."

Rights group criticizes South Sudan for executions policy

On Monday, Amnesty International released a report on death sentences and executions in 2012. South Sudan was among the countries mentioned in the report, which distinguished between lawful executions and an unknown number of summary executions carried out in Syria.

According to a graphic developed by the group, South Sudan executed more than five people in 2012.

The graphic also condemns a number of countries as being among the "eight worst offenders" in 2012, including China with thousands of executions, Iran with more than 314, Iraq with more than 129, Saudi Arabia at more than 79, the United States with 43, Yemen with more than 28, and Sudan at more than 19.

Shawn Humphrey is a former contributor to The Flint Journal and an amateur Africanist, focusing his personal studies on human rights and political issues on the continent.