By Kei Emmanuel Duku
South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) have seized the strategic border town of Akobo, crushed rebel occupation and leaving Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) fighters fleeing into the eastern floodplains
The Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) is the military wing of the SPLM-IO, a primary signatory to the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement in South Sudan.
Formed following the political split in December 2013, the group is composed of defected soldiers from the national army and local civil defense forces led by former first Vice President Dr. Riek Machar.
The fall of the Jonglei State stronghold marks a historic shift in the nation’s security landscape, as the national army re-entered the town for the first time since it was lost in December 2013. Speaking to the media at the SSPDF Headquarters in Juba on Wednesday, military spokesperson Maj Gen Lual Rai Koang confirmed that the second phase of Operation Enduring Peace has effectively cleared the state of major rebel territories.
“We have reduced them to being on the run,” Maj Gen Koang declared. “Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition-SPLM-IO rebels are no longer holding any major town in the whole of Jonglei State. Akobo was the last rebel stronghold.”
The military advance began on March 7, shortly after the government’s formal announcement of the operation’s second phase. As the national army marched toward the Far East of Jonglei, they were forced to fight through several ambushes. The first major engagement occurred at Dwechen, a famous location where the floodplains narrow into the Akobo Sahara desert.
“We engaged by the rebels, they ambushed us, but we defeated them, and proceeded,” Maj Gen Koang explained. The momentum continued into the following day when SSPDF forces moving toward Weydenoka were again engaged at a place called Othiel. “We also defeated them and made a breakthrough, and on the same day we were able to capture their base at Weydenoka.”
Following these decisive breakthroughs, which Maj Gen Koang said neutralized over 50 rebel fighters and the resistance collapsed.
On March 10, 2026, the national army entered the town without a fight. “Akobo fell to our gallant Forces on the 10th of March, 2026, without resistance,” the spokesperson noted, adding that after the previous engagements, the army “quickly organized, and we marched on Akobo a day later.”
The victory has significantly depleted the rebels’ military hardware. The SSPDF reports recapturing approximately 70% of the weapons previously held by the opposition, including seven Toyota Land Cruisers. Among these were three pickups mounted with ZU-23 “Masura” anti-aircraft guns and 12.7mm rifles, as well as a tractor. Earlier in Walgak, the army also seized two Land Cruisers mounted with ZU-23 and 14.5mm rifles.
However, the recapture of the 13-year stronghold came with a human cost for the national army. “On our side, we took 13 casualties and 20 wounded,” Maj Gen Koang revealed. “Those were the casualties that were inflicted on us by the rebels.”
Despite the casualties, the military is maintaining a firm stance on the protection of the border region. Maj Gen Koang gave reassurances that the SSPDF has the capacity to protect the local population and will establish a permanent base at a designated site in Akobo.
He challenged the rebels to face the military directly rather than targeting civilians, warning that “the international community will hold them accountable” if they attack the population.
The General also highlighted the complex dynamics of Jonglei, pointing out that the local residents are armed and capable of defending themselves if the SPLM-IO, who are sons and daughters of the area, turn against their own people. “If the IO’s decides to kill their own people, they will defend themselves,” Maj Gen Koang stated, emphasizing that the residents would use the same weapons previously used to support the opposition to now defend their homes.
As mopping up operations continue in the eastern hideouts, the government maintains that the rebel threat has been fundamentally broken. “We have reduced them, they are on the run,” Maj Gen Koang concluded. “I’m not denying that they are no longer existing. They are on the run.”