South Sudan’s army announces recapture of evacuated town

South Sudan’s army said it had recaptured the town of Akobo from opposition forces, as reported by Africa News via AFP on March 12th.

The South Sudan People’s Defence Forces said Akobo was “safe” after the operation. In recent years, the town has become a flashpoint in fighting between rival forces: those aligned with President Salva Kiir and those loyal to the arrested opposition leader Riek Machar.

Prior to launching the offensive, the army had ordered civilians, UN agencies and aid workers to evacuate the town. Around 200,000 people fled to neighbouring Ethiopia.

Africa News via AFP, Maghrebi.org