FILE PHOTO: Arial view of Akobo County in Jonglei State. (Photo: Charles Wote/EyeRadio).

A local journalist in Akobo reports that fighting erupted early Monday morning as SPLA-IO forces retook control of the town, which had been under the control of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) for nearly a month.

According to Sam Koang, the clash began around 5:11 AM and lasted for approximately one hour.

Sam, who currently lives in the Ethiopian town of Tiergol—located across the Pibor River from Akobo—visited the town after the fighting subsided. Sam, a staff member of Akobo Peace Radio, reported on the aftermath of the engagement.

“The fighting erupted between the two rival forces, the SSPDF and the I.O. It lasted for almost one hour,” Sam reported. “I went into the town myself and saw many dead bodies within the military barracks and other surrounding areas.”

The town had been under SSPDF control since March, a period during which most residents and media professionals moved to neighboring Ethiopia following an evacuation order from SSPDF headquarters for civilians to vacate the area.

Authorities have not yet issued a formal statement regarding the death toll or the current status of the area. Both the SSPDF and SPLA-IO have yet to issue statements following the incident.