South Sudan’s military has ordered civilians, United Nations personnel, and aid workers to leave three counties in Jonglei State ahead of a planned offensive against opposition forces, escalating fears of wider conflict in the country’s east.
The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces said the operation would target fighters aligned with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition, as clashes across the country reach levels not seen in several years.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the army said a campaign known as Operation Enduring Peace was about to begin in Jonglei, a volatile region near the Ethiopian border.
The military directed all civilians in Nyirol, Uror, and Akobo counties to relocate immediately to areas under government control. It also ordered staff from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and all non governmental organizations to evacuate the three counties within forty eight hours.
The army said the measure was necessary to protect civilians and humanitarian workers during the planned operation.
The United Nations confirmed that peacekeepers in Akobo remained on the ground despite the evacuation order.
“Our peacekeepers in Akobo remain in place, carrying out all efforts under our mandate to help de escalate tensions and prevent conflict,” a UNMISS spokesperson said.
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The spokesperson did not confirm whether UN personnel had withdrawn from Nyirol and Uror counties.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said it had evacuated key staff from Akobo following what it described as clear instructions from authorities and a rapidly worsening security situation.
Jonglei has been one of the hardest hit areas as fighting between government forces and SPLA IO fighters intensifies. The United Nations says clashes across South Sudan are occurring on a scale not witnessed since 2017.
Earlier this month, opposition forces captured the town of Pajut after heavy fighting in northern Jonglei. Analysts said the fall of Pajut placed the state capital Bor at increased risk.
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Last week, SPLA IO called on its fighters to march toward the capital Juba, a move widely seen as a serious escalation in the conflict.
The renewed violence has already displaced large numbers of civilians. In a statement on Sunday, UNMISS said at least one hundred eighty thousand people in Jonglei had been forced from their homes.
The mission urged South Sudan’s political leaders to halt the fighting and prioritize civilian protection.
“The interests of the people must come first,” the statement said, warning that continued conflict would worsen an already severe humanitarian crisis.
South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013 after tensions erupted between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and opposition fighters led by Vice President Riek Machar. The conflict, fought largely along ethnic lines, killed about four hundred thousand people before a peace agreement was signed in 2018.
Although the deal reduced large scale fighting, sporadic violence has continued, particularly in Jonglei and other remote regions where armed groups remain active.