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The United Nations Mission successful South Sudan said connected Monday (March 9, 2026) that it would not comply with a authorities bid to unopen down its basal successful Akobo, an absorption stronghold adjacent the Ethiopian borderline wherever tens of thousands of refugees person fled.
On Friday (March 6, 2026), the South Sudanese Army ordered U.N. peacekeepers, arsenic good arsenic NGOs and civilians, to vacate the municipality up of a planned assault.
But the ngo refused to permission and said it would supply “a protective beingness for civilians” successful the town, adding that the information and information of its unit “must beryllium afloat respected astatine each times.” The UN Mission said it was engaging “intensively with national, authorities and section stakeholders” regarding this order. “Any subject operations successful and astir Akobo gravely endanger the information and information of civilians,” said ngo main Anita Kiki Gbeho.
The South Sudanese authorities has been warring absorption forces since a 2018 bid woody broke down astir a twelvemonth ago.
A melodramatic escalation took spot successful December 2025, erstwhile absorption forces seized respective authorities outposts successful bluish Jonglei. A authorities counter-offensive repelled their forces a period aboriginal and displaced implicit 280,000 people. Tens of thousands person sought refuge successful Akobo, wherever a tiny contingent of UN peacekeepers is stationed.
Fearing the looming authorities battle connected Akobo, humanitarian workers were evacuated implicit the weekend, and a wide exodus of the colonisation has besides begun.
Local officials contacted by The Associated Press said fleeing civilians faced information and wide shortages of indispensable supplies. Dual Diew, the Akobo County wellness director, who has fled to Ethiopia, said determination were 84 wounded patients astatine the hospital. “We person astir of them with america present now,” helium said, adding that they deficiency medicine and basal nursing equipment.
Christophe Garnier, the person of Doctors Without Borders successful South Sudan, said the organisation had to evacuate its unit from Akobo connected Saturday and learned of the consequent looting of its infirmary and the ransacking of its office.
“People successful Akobo indispensable present either fly without extortion oregon stay astatine hazard of being killed, portion losing entree to healthcare and different indispensable services,” helium said.
The 3 Western governments that person played a large relation successful the bid process — the U.S., U.K., and Norway — sent a missive to President Kiir connected Monday (march , urging that the army's evacuation bid beryllium revoked and informing of “further deaths, displacement and suffering for the South Sudanese people” if the violative connected Akobo is implemented.
