Authorities in South Sudan are reporting conflicting accounts after fighting erupted in Akobo.

Former county commissioner James Kueth Makuach said government forces had secured the town without major destruction. He encouraged businesses to reopen and asked telecommunications companies to restore mobile services.

However, SPLA-IO officials say the situation is different.

John Wiyual Lul, the opposition-appointed commissioner, said government troops briefly captured the town but were later driven out by SPLA-IO fighters.

He also claimed that several civilians were killed during the clashes, including a mentally ill man at the local market.