South Sudan tensions escalate as opposition retakes key stronghold

The United Nations Security Council was briefed Friday on the worsening humanitarian conditions in South Sudan less than a week after opposition forces retook the strategic town of Akobo from government troops.

“The security situation remains deeply concerning,” said the Head of United Nations Mission in South Sudan Anita Kiki Gbeho. She added that, “UNMISS human rights reports a 40% increase in deaths and injuries in 2025 as compared to 2024.”

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.

Due to a reduction in humanitarian budgets, the critical UNMISS base in Akobo is due to close. “As the Security Council deliberates on the renewal of the UNMISS mandate, it is important to recognize the dilemma we collectively face,” said Gbeho.

Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke, via a video call, of the mass displacement and dire health care needs people in South Sudan are facing.

A quarter of a million people have fled their homes since December and 1.35 million people across Zhongli State have lost access to healthcare Fletcher also emphasized the “emergency levels” of food insecurity for some populations across South Sudan’s 10 states. “I therefore fear that my next briefing to you on South Sudan will speak of famine.

More than seven and a half million people will need food assistance this year,” said Fletcher.