UN Peacekeepers Refuse South Sudan Evacuation Order

United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan have refused a government order to withdraw from the opposition-held town of Akobo, escalating tensions between the UN mission and the South Sudanese military as fears mount over a potential large-scale assault on the area.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said it would maintain its presence in the town despite an evacuation order issued by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Friday. The order demanded that UN personnel, humanitarian organizations and civilians leave the area ahead of a planned military offensive.

Akobo lies near the Ethiopian border and has become a refuge for tens of thousands of displaced civilians fleeing renewed fighting between government troops and opposition forces.

The UN mission said its forces would remain in Akobo to provide protection to civilians sheltering in the town, maintaining “a protective presence for civilians”, while stressing that the “safety and security of its personnel must be fully respected at all times.”

UNMISS chief Anita Kiki Gbeho warned that military operations in the area could place large numbers of civilians at risk.

“Any military operations in and around Akobo gravely endanger the safety and security of civilians,” Gbeho said in a statement.

The mission said it is engaging intensively with national, state and local stakeholders as it seeks to prevent further escalation.

Akobo has become a major humanitarian hub since renewed fighting intensified in Jonglei state. The current crisis stems from the collapse of parts of the 2018 peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and opposition factions. In December 2025, opposition forces captured several government outposts across northern Jonglei.

Government forces launched a counteroffensive in January 2026, retaking some positions but displacing more than 280,000 people across the region. Many of those displaced fled to Akobo, where a small UN peacekeeping contingent has remained stationed.

The looming government assault has triggered panic among civilians and aid organizations. Over the weekend, humanitarian agencies evacuated personnel from the town as the military operation appeared imminent.

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, said it withdrew staff on Saturday, later learning that its hospital had been looted and its offices ransacked.

“People in Akobo must now either flee without protection or remain at risk of being killed, while losing access to healthcare and other essential services,” said Christophe Garnier, MSF’s head in South Sudan.

Local officials described a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. Dual Diew, the health director for Akobo County, said 84 wounded patients had been treated at the town’s hospital before staff were forced to evacuate.

“We have most of them with us here now,” he said after fleeing to Ethiopia, adding that the displaced lacked medicine and basic medical equipment.

Civilians fleeing the town also face shortages of food, shelter and transportation as thousands attempt to reach safety.

The crisis has prompted diplomatic intervention from Western governments involved in South Sudan’s peace process. On Monday, the United States, United Kingdom and Norway sent a joint letter to President Salva Kiir, urging him to rescind the military evacuation order and halt the planned assault on Akobo.

The three governments warned that a government offensive could lead to “further deaths, displacement and suffering for the South Sudanese people.”

The UN mission’s decision to remain in Akobo places peacekeepers directly between government forces and opposition-held territory, raising the stakes of the confrontation.

With tens of thousands of civilians still sheltering in the town and regional displacement already exceeding 280,000 people, humanitarian agencies warn that a military assault could trigger another major wave of refugees across the Ethiopian border.