Activist condemns army order expelling UN, aid groups from rebel stronghold

JUBA — A prominent South Sudanese civil society leader on Saturday condemned a military directive ordering United Nations peacekeepers and aid workers to leave a rebel stronghold within 72 hours, urging the U.N. to defy the order under its mandate to protect civilians.

The South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Friday issued an ultimatum for personnel from the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and humanitarian organizations to evacuate Akobo County in eastern Jonglei State.

Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), warned the move places civilians at imminent risk and called on the peacekeeping mission to stand its ground.

“UNMISS should not accept this. This is a Chapter 7 mission,” Yakani said in a statement to Sudans Post. “If UNMISS succumbs to this, it will mark the beginning of the end of UNMISS in South Sudan and the protection of civilians.”

Established in 2011, UNMISS operates under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

This mandate authorizes peacekeepers to use military force beyond self-defense to actively protect civilians threatened by violence, defend U.N. bases, and deploy rapid response forces to deter armed groups. Yakani noted the UNMISS Temporary Operation Base (TOB) in Akobo was established specifically under this mandate.

The expulsion order comes amid escalating tensions in Jonglei State, a region historically plagued by severe inter-communal violence and localized political conflict. Akobo, located near the Ethiopian border, is a stronghold for the opposition SPLA-IO led by imprisoned First Vice President Riek Machar.

Recent weeks have seen renewed military confrontations in the area followed by a Feb. 15 declaration by the African Union Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan urging parties to honor the transitional peace process.

The sudden ultimatum raises fears of an imminent, full-scale government offensive against opposition positions, which would shatter the region’s fragile ceasefire.

CEPO reported receiving multiple distress calls from civilians in Akobo terrified of an impending SSPDF operation.

“The civilian population is pleading with SSPDF and SPLA-IO to stop military fighting and allow the ceasefire to function,” Yakani said.

He criticized the military ultimatum as a failure of leadership, warning that prioritizing territorial gains over civilian safety constitutes a grave violation of human rights.

“It is a total demonstration of an irresponsible style of public governance when political leaders of conflicting parties opt to resolve their political clashes through military solutions,” Yakani added. “Military solutions to a political crisis are a danger to the protection of civilians.”