UN warns worsening humanitarian conditions after Akobo fighting in South Sudan

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Fighting erupted over the weekend in Akobo, a strategic town in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, and the United Nations warned Monday that the violence could drive humanitarian conditions further into crisis. The U.N. Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, urged all parties to stop fighting and said it was working to prevent escalation as the situation in the town shifted again.

Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said on Monday that opposition fighters captured Akobo and took military vehicles and weapons, after the fighting began over the weekend. He described the capture as following the ouster of government troops from the town, which he said had occurred before opposition forces moved in.

The South Sudanese government public service minister, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, disputed the opposition account and called the attacks “senseless and unjustified.” Gatkuoth said opposition forces put civilians in harm’s way, and he said the government would provide more details about what transpired, though the government’s army spokesperson did not comment.

The fighting unfolded amid a broader conflict that the U.N. and other observers have linked to the breakdown of South Sudan’s 2018 peace deal. The government has been fighting opposition forces since the agreement collapsed about a year ago, and Akobo is described as one of the last strongholds of the opposition.

Akobo had last been under government control after government troops seized the town in March, according to the report. The opposition is led by detained Vice President Riek Machar, and Akobo has been treated as strategically important in the contest for territory.

The renewed violence followed an earlier warning that thousands fled Akobo after a government evacuation order was issued to pave the way for a military operation against opposition forces MSI previously reported this evacuation. Akobo borders neighboring Ethiopia, a location that can affect cross-border movement and how quickly humanitarian needs emerge when fighting returns.

Videos circulated on social media showing opposition fighters in key locations in Akobo, including near the airstrip and the administrative headquarters. The U.N. said it warned of worsening humanitarian conditions and urged a cessation of hostilities as the fighting raised fears for civilians in the town.

UNMISS spokesperson Priyanka Chowdhury said, “We are engaging intensively with all parties at all levels to help prevent further escalation and restore calm,” in a statement. She said the mission was urging restraint even as its ability to stay engaged in Akobo is scheduled to end following budget reductions.

UNMISS said it is due to close its base in Akobo after a reduction in humanitarian budgets. The warning comes as the U.N. continues to manage the effects of fighting on civilians and humanitarian access, with the latest clashes renewing pressure on UNMISS and other aid operations in the region.