ISTANBUL

The South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) on Sunday called for the immediate evacuation of civilians, humanitarian organizations, and UN personnel from opposition-controlled areas in Jonglei State ahead of a major military offensive.

“All NGOs and UNMISS personnel operating and working in Nyirol, Uror and Akobo counties are given 48 hours to leave,” SSPDF spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said in a video statement.

He said civilians in these areas must relocate immediately to government-controlled zones to ensure their safety, as the army prepares for the “Operation Enduring Peace” against Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO).

“Armed civilians found loitering in and around SPLA-IO barracks, assembly areas, and rally grounds would be considered as legitimate military targets,” he added.

Koang said armed civilians, as well as those not part of the White Army, must surrender their weapons to the nearest SSPDF garrison and move with their families and livestock to government-controlled areas.

Earlier on Sunday, the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) expressed concern over reports that a senior military leader had urged troops to attack civilians in Jonglei State.

It also said that over 180,000 people are said to have been displaced in Jonglei from escalating fighting between the main parties to a 2018 peace agreement.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan in 2011 following a referendum.

However, it has remained mired in conflict since December 2013, when President Salva Kiir Mayardit dismissed and accused then-Vice President Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

Despite peace deals signed in 2018 and 2022, instability persists.

Last February, a militia group known as the White Army, largely made up of members of Machar’s Nuer ethnic group, seized a town in the Upper Nile State. In response, several generals and government ministers affiliated with Machar’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition were detained.

Opposition leader Machar and several other detained figures face serious charges, including murder, treason, and crimes against humanity, and are also accused of conspiracy, financing terrorist activities, destroying public and military property, and inciting violence in Nasir County.