Opposition forces loyal to detained Vice President Riek Machar have retaken Akobo, a strategic town in South Sudan (a landlocked East African nation that gained independence in 2011), from government troops, escalating a conflict that reignited roughly a year ago after a 2018 peace deal collapsed. The UN Security Council was briefed Friday on the deteriorating situation, with the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan warning of a 40% rise in conflict-related deaths and injuries in 2025 compared to the previous year. The crisis has displaced 250,000 people since December, left 1.35 million without healthcare access, and pushed millions toward famine — with the UN's emergency relief coordinator warning that more than 7.5 million people will require food assistance this year.