UN concerned as opposition retakes a strategic town in South Sudan

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — The U.N. has expressed concern over violence in the strategic town of Akobo in South Sudan’ s Jonglei State, which was retaken by opposition forces after they ousted government troops.

Fighting started over the weekend and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said on Monday that opposition fighters captured the town and took military vehicles and weapons. Government troops, which seized the town in March, withdrew.

The public service minister, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, called the attacks “senseless and unjustified,” saying the opposition forces had put civilians in harm’s way. He said the army would provide more details on what transpired, but the army spokesperson refused to comment.

The South Sudanese government has been fighting opposition forces since a 2018 peace deal broke down about a year ago. Akobo is one of the last strongholds of the opposition, led by Riek Machar, South Sudan’s detained vice president.

Last month, the army issued an evacuation order in Akobo to pave the way for a military operation against the opposition forces. Thousands fled the town, which borders neighboring Ethiopia.

Videos circulated on social media showed opposition fighters in key locations, including near the airstrip and the administrative headquarters, suggesting the group had established a presence in central administrative areas.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, on Monday warned of worsening humanitarian conditions and called for a cessation of hostilities.

“We are engaging intensively with all parties at all levels to help prevent further escalation and restore calm,” a statement from the UNMISS spokesperson, Priyanka Chowdhury, said.

UNMISS is due to close its base in Akobo following a reduction in humanitarian budgets.