UN peacekeepers defy South Sudan military's order to leave town held by opposition
📖 Full Retelling
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan said Monday that it would 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 refugees have fled.
Entity Intersection Graph
No entity connections available yet for this article.
Original Source
By — Deng Machol, Associated Press Deng Machol, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter UN peacekeepers defy South Sudan military's order to leave town held by opposition World Mar 10, 2026 5:33 PM EDT JUBA, South Sudan — The United Nations Mission in South Sudan said Monday that it would 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 refugees have fled. On Friday, the South Sudanese army ordered U.N. peacekeepers as well as humanitarian organizations and civilians to vacate the town ahead of a planned assault. But the mission refused to leave and said it would provide "a protective presence for civilians" in the town, adding that the safety and security of its personnel "must be fully respected at all times." The U.N. Mission said it was engaging "intensively with national, state and local stakeholders" regarding this order. "Any military operations in and around Akobo gravely endanger the safety and security of civilians," said mission chief Anita Kiki Gbeho. The South Sudanese government has been fighting opposition forces since a 2018 peace deal broke down about a year ago. READ MORE: 169 people killed, including women and children, after insurgents raid a village in a remote area of South Sudan A dramatic escalation took place in December 2025, when opposition forces seized several government outposts in northern Jonglei. A government counter-offensive repelled their forces a month later and displaced over 280,000 people. Tens of thousands have sought refuge in Akobo, where a small contingent of U.N. peacekeepers is stationed. Fearing the looming government assault, humanitarian workers were evacuated from Akobo over the weekend, and a mass exodus of the population has also begun. The army announced Tuesday that Akobo was now under its control and it has escorted the gov...
Read full article at source