On Monday, March 9, 2026, top envoys from the United States, United Kingdom, and Norway have called on South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit to rescind a military directive ordering civilians and aid organizations to vacate Akobo County ahead of a potential offensive.
In a joint letter, the diplomats expressed “deep concern” over a March 6 order from the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF), which gave the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), humanitarian agencies, and residents 72 hours to leave the area.
They warned that enforcing the order could trigger mass casualties, displacement, and humanitarian suffering in a county sheltering approximately 245,000 people, including internally displaced persons from elsewhere in Jonglei State.
The envoys emphasised that UNMISS’s presence is vital to protecting civilians under its United Nations Security Council mandate and highlighted that the SSPDF directive appeared to conflict with recent government assurances of “unhindered and unfettered humanitarian access.” They also referenced calls by the African Union for an immediate ceasefire and inclusive dialogue to advance implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
The letter, signed by Norwegian Ambassador Roar Haugsdal, British Ambassador David Ashley, and U.S. chargé d’affaires Catherine Connell, was copied to South Sudan’s vice presidents and key ministers, including Defence, Foreign affairs, and Humanitarian affairs. The diplomats requested an urgent meeting with Kiir to address the escalating crisis.
Civil society actors welcomed the Troika’s intervention. Edmund Yakani, executive director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), described the military approach as “dangerous” and a threat to human rights, noting that the order could exacerbate the risks of civilian harm in Akobo amid tensions with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO). Attempts to reach Ateny Wek Ateny, the information minister and government spokesperson, for comment were unsuccessful.
Women and children have already been seen leaving Akobo following the SSPDF’s 72-hour evacuation notice, raising urgent concerns about civilian safety. The Troika nations, long-standing diplomatic supporters of South Sudan, also remain significant providers of humanitarian and development aid to the world’s youngest country.