SOUTH SUDAN: Airstrikes Target Akobo Amid Rising Tensions In South Sudan

By Debora Akur Chol, South Sudan

Residents of Akobo, a border town in Jonglei State, South Sudan, were thrown into panic after airstrikes struck the outskirts of the town on Tuesday afternoon.

The attack intensifies concerns about the potential return to civil war, as tensions between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar continue to escalate.

In response to the growing instability, Uganda has deployed special forces to South Sudan, with the Ugandan military chief announcing last week that troops had been sent to “secure” Juba, South Sudan’s capital.

The Ugandan People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has been accused of carrying out airstrikes in support of the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF).

Puok Nyang Tutjiek, the Akobo County Commissioner, confirmed that the strike occurred at approximately 12:45 p.m. on a road connecting Walgak to Akobo. The airstrikes targeted two vehicles carrying goods and passengers to the town’s head