UN mission defy South Sudan military's order to leave Akobo town

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan said it will not comply with a government order to shut down its base in Akobo, an opposition stronghold near the Ethiopian border where tens of thousands of civilians have sought refuge.

On Friday, the South Sudan People's Defence Forces ordered UN peacekeepers, humanitarian organizations, and civilians to leave the town ahead of a planned military assault.

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

Mission chief Anita Kiki Gbeho warned that any military operations in and around Akobo could endanger thousands of civilians sheltering there, adding that the mission is engaging intensively with national, state, and local authorities over the order.

Fighting in South Sudan has intensified following the collapse of a fragile peace agreement between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition groups. In December 2025, opposition fighters captured several government outposts in northern Jonglei State. Government troops later launched a counter-offensive that pushed them back but displaced more than 280,000 people.

Tens of thousands of those displaced fled to Akobo, where a small UN peacekeeping contingent is stationed.

Humanitarian agencies have begun evacuating staff amid fears of a government assault. Doctors Without Borders said it withdrew personnel from Akobo over the weekend; it later learned that its hospital had been looted and its office ransacked.

Aid workers warn that civilians fleeing the town face serious risks and shortages of essential supplies. Local health officials said dozens of wounded patients have been moved across the border to Ethiopia, where medical facilities are struggling with limited medicine and equipment.

Meanwhile, the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Norway, key backers of South Sudan's peace process, have urged President Kiir to revoke the evacuation order, warning that an attack on Akobo could lead to further deaths, displacement, and humanitarian suffering.