Some 200,000 people have been displaced from Akobo. The town was almost completely emptied by Sunday after the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces issued an ultimatum on Friday demanding that civilians, aid workers and United Nations peacekeepers leave ahead of a planned assault.
JUBA MARCH 11: UN humanitarians in South Sudan have expressed deep concern over an order from government forces directing civilians and aid agencies to vacate the town of Akobo – near the Ethiopian border – ahead of planned military operations.
Some 200,000 people have been displaced from Akobo, the latest flashpoint of fighting between armies loyal to the government and opposition in South Sudan. Since fighting escalated in December 2025 after opposition forces seized government positions in Jonglei State, many civilians have sought refuge in Akobo county.
The county now hosts an estimated 270,000 displaced people – more than half women and children – making it “a critical refuge for people fleeing violence.” The army ordered evacuations to clear the way for a military offensive.
The town of Akobo was almost completely emptied by Sunday after the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces issued an ultimatum on Friday demanding that civilians, aid workers and United Nations peacekeepers leave ahead of a planned assault. The army’s deadline was set to expire Monday afternoon.
Akobo is located in the Akobo County of Jonglei State in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan, in the northeastern part of South Sudan, near the International border with Ethiopia. Its location lies approximately 450 kilometres, by road, northeast of Juba.
The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in South Sudan is deeply concerned by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces order issued on 6 March 2026 directing civilians, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations to vacate Akobo County. Any military action in or around such a densely populated area would expose civilians to grave danger and risk triggering a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Akobo County.
