SSPDF orders UNMISS, aid agencies to leave Akobo ahead of planned offensive

JUBA – The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has ordered United Nations peacekeepers, humanitarian agencies, and civilians to leave Akobo town in Jonglei State within 72 hours as it prepares to launch the next phase of a military offensive targeting areas under the control of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO).

In a press statement issued Friday, SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said the directive follows the completion of the first phase of what the army calls “Operation Enduring Peace.”

According to the statement, Akobo town and the surrounding areas have been designated as the next targets in the second phase of the military campaign.

“In light of the looming shift in the theatre of operations, the SSPDF Chief of Defence Forces hereby orders the closure and immediate withdrawal of UNMISS forces from their Temporary Operating Base in Akobo town within 72 hours,” the statement said.

The army also directed all United Nations agencies, humanitarian organisations, and their staff operating in the area to evacuate within the same timeframe.

“All civilians living in Akobo town and surrounding villages are hereby ordered to either relocate to the nearest SSPDF-controlled areas or leave for areas they deem safer,” the statement added.

The military said the advance notice was issued to minimise civilian harm ahead of the anticipated combat operations.

“Those orders are being issued in advance to avoid unnecessary collateral damage,” Koang stated.

Akobo, located along the South Sudan–Ethiopia border, has long been a strategic and contested area during conflicts between government forces and opposition groups.

The town also hosts a Temporary Operating Base run by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which was established to protect civilians and support stability in the region.

The SSPDF order comes weeks after members of the national were accused of killing more than 25 civilians after tricking them with false promises of humanitarian handouts to be allegedly delivered by the World Food Programme in Akobo town.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition has not yet publicly responded to the army’s announcement, which also comes amid renewed tensions in parts of South Sudan despite the 2018 peace agreement that ended years of civil war between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with First Vice President Riek Machar.