Mass exodus across Akobo River as SSPDF deadline expires

2026-03-09 - 15:28

AKOBO, Jonglei State (Eye Radio) — Thousands of civilians are currently crossing the Akobo River into Ethiopia as a 72-hour evacuation deadline issued by the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) comes into effect, Monday, March 9, 2026. According to witness, the mass exodus has triggered a major humanitarian crisis at the border, leaving families—many of whom were already displaced from other parts of Jonglei State—in a desperate search for safety. Last week, the Chief of Defence Forces of the national army, General Paul Nang Majok, ordered the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and all aid agencies to evacuate Akobo County, Jonglei State, within 72 hours. The ultimatum was announced this afternoon by the Spokesperson of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, Major General Lul Ruai Koang. General Koang said UNMISS and all other aid agencies must leave northern Jonglei within three days, warning that the army will not be responsible for any consequences. He added that the army command is preparing for a second phase of operations in the county. “In light of a looming shift in the theatre of operations, SSPDF Chief of Defence Forces, General Dr. Paul Nang, hereby issues the following orders. Orders for the closure and immediate withdrawal of enemy forces from their temporary operating base in Akobo Town, Akobo County in Jonglei State, within seventy-two hours. All UN agencies, NGOs and their staff are hereby required to leave within the same window of opportunity,” he said. As the SSPDF deadline came into effect on Monday, March 9, an eyewitness from Akobo town described a desperate scene at the riverbanks. Women, children, and the elderly—many carrying their only remaining possessions—are using small boats or wading through the water to seek refuge in neighbouring Ethiopia. According to photos shared by Ruot Bayoch, the influx of people is overwhelming local resources on both sides of the border. The majority of those crossing are internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had previously fled to Akobo Town from Uror, Nyirol, and Akobo West. Now facing their second or third displacement in recent months, these families are entering a “humanitarian nightmare” with limited access to food, clean water, or medical care. As the 72-hour window for evacuation closes, the scale of the desertion from Akobo County has drawn urgent calls for international monitors and humanitarian agencies to intervene. Local advocates are questioning how these vulnerable populations will survive the coming days and are urging a halt to military offensives that drive civilians into foreign territory.