Thousands Flee Akobo as South Sudan Army Orders Evacuation

Thousands of civilians fled the eastern South Sudanese town of Akobo after government forces issued a forced evacuation order ahead of a planned military assault on one of the last strongholds of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), raising fears that the country could slide back into full-scale civil war.

The ultimatum was issued on Friday by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF), instructing civilians, aid workers and United Nations personnel to leave the town before the army’s deadline, which was set to expire on Monday afternoon.

By Sunday, Akobo, located near the Ethiopian border, had been largely emptied as residents fled toward neighboring Ethiopia or other rural areas.

Local humanitarian official Nhial Lew said the evacuation had transformed the town into a near ghost settlement. “The town is now almost empty,” he said, noting that women, children and elderly residents had crossed the border into Ethiopia. By Sunday evening, Lew said, “We are hearing the sound of machine guns approaching.”

The evacuation order forms part of a broader government counteroffensive known as Operation Enduring Peace, launched in January following escalating clashes between government troops and opposition forces.

The fighting intensified after opposition groups began seizing government positions in December, triggering a wave of displacement across Jonglei state. According to available figures, more than 280,000 people have been displaced in the region since the fighting began.

Akobo had previously served as a relatively stable refuge, sheltering more than 82,000 internally displaced people. Its strategic importance stems from its status as one of the last remaining SPLM-IO strongholds loyal to detained former vice president Riek Machar.

Machar has been under house arrest in Juba since March 2025, facing charges of treason and murder that his supporters describe as politically motivated.

The offensive highlights the fragility of the 2018 peace agreement that formally ended South Sudan’s devastating civil war between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those aligned with Machar.

That war, which lasted from 2013 to 2018, killed an estimated 400,000 people and displaced millions across the region.

Recent developments suggest the peace deal is steadily unraveling. A United Nations Commission on Human Rights warned that the country could face a “return to full-scale war” unless political leaders urgently re-engage in negotiations.

According to the UN, escalating violence and political deadlock among signatories to the Revitalised Peace Agreement are driving renewed instability.

The crisis has also strained humanitarian operations across the region.

Two United Nations flights evacuated most humanitarian workers from Akobo on Sunday, though the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) maintained staff at a surgical unit inside the local hospital.

County health director Dual Diew said evacuating wounded patients had become nearly impossible due to shortages of fuel and transport.

“We are worried for our patients,” he said. “We tried to make a plan to take them to a safer location, but we don’t have enough fuel.”

Humanitarian agencies have warned that ongoing violence is already obstructing aid deliveries across the country.

The World Food Programme (WFP) stated that escalating fighting is creating serious obstacles for relief organizations attempting to reach vulnerable populations.

“Ensuring the safe delivery of food assistance is critical to saving lives - millions, including children, depend on it,” the agency said.

The Akobo evacuation comes as violence spreads across multiple parts of South Sudan.

On Sunday, at least 169 people were killed, including 90 civilians, when armed fighters attacked a village in Abiemnom county in the north. More than 1,000 residents subsequently sought protection at a nearby UN base.

Local authorities blamed the attack on elements of the White Army militia, historically aligned with Machar’s forces, though the group denied involvement.

Meanwhile, humanitarian infrastructure has increasingly come under attack. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that 26 of its staff remain unaccounted for following a government air strike that destroyed a hospital in Lankien, while another medical facility in Pieri was looted.

The strike marked the 10th attack on an MSF facility within 12 months, underscoring the deteriorating security environment.

MSF’s head of mission, Yashovardhan, warned: “Medical workers must never be targets.”

The security deterioration is unfolding alongside a widening humanitarian emergency.

According to assessments of the South Sudan crisis in 2025, more than 7.7 million people are currently facing severe food insecurity, while militia attacks have killed more than 1,850 civilians and displaced at least 52,000 people in 2025.South

The UN has also warned that cholera outbreaks, limited humanitarian funding and regional instability linked to Sudan’s ongoing war are intensifying the crisis.

Briefing the UN Security Council, peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said escalating violence and humanitarian constraints are pushing civilians “to the brink,” while financial cuts are weakening the UN mission tasked with protecting them.

Researchers studying the country warn that the combined pressures of renewed fighting, political fragmentation and humanitarian collapse could push South Sudan toward another prolonged conflict cycle.