Key facts
- A government-appointed commissioner in South Sudan's Jonglei State was killed by opposition forces.
- The killing occurred during renewed violence in the strategic Akobo county.
- James Kueth Makuach, who had defected to the ruling party, was killed in an assault on Walgak.
- The violence undermines the 2018 peace deal and threatens civilian safety.
- Fighting in Akobo County began in March.
- South Sudan is scheduled to hold elections on December 22.
Violence has escalated in South Sudan's oil-rich Jonglei State, with a government-appointed county commissioner reportedly "assassinated" by opposition forces. James Kueth Makuach, who had recently defected to President Salva Kiir’s ruling party, was killed on Sunday during an assault on Walgak in Akobo West.
The strategic Akobo county has become a flashpoint, with both the government and opposition appointing commissioners. Makuach's appointment by the ruling party disregarded a 2018 peace agreement that allocated the position to Riek Machar’s opposition party. Machar remains in prison on treason charges.
The government has strongly condemned the killing, while the opposition-appointed governor stated that their forces briefly seized the area before withdrawing. Casualty figures remain unclear, but senior army officers were reportedly among the dead.
Officials and civil society leaders have warned that the renewed violence undermines the 2018 peace deal, threatens civilian safety, and jeopardizes humanitarian operations. Fighting in Akobo County initially broke out in March, leading the United Nations to withdraw peacekeepers from a local base in June. South Sudan is scheduled to hold its first elections since independence in 2011 on December 22.