Aweil Mading Aweil | |
---|---|
Nickname: | |
Coordinates: 08°46′02″N27°23′59″E / 8.76722°N 27.39972°E | |
Country | South Sudan |
State | Northern Bahr el Ghazal |
County | Aweil Center County |
Government | |
• State Governor | Tong Akeen Ngor |
Elevation | 425 m (1,394 ft) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 33,537 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
Climate | Aw |
Aweil is a city in South Sudan and the capital of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
Aweil is located in Aweil West County, Aweil State, [1] in northwestern South Sudan, near the International border with the Republic of Sudan and the Abyei Region. This location lies approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi), by road, northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in the country. [2] The coordinates of Aweil are: 8° 46' 02.00"N, 27° 23' 59.00"E (Latitude: 8.7671; Longitude: 27.3998).
Aweil is the capital city of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. It is also the county seat of Aweil West County. The city's infrastructure is relatively developed. Aweil now has a functioning railway station, hotel, airport, soccer stadium, and a Aweil Civil Hospital. The city functions as a team site for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. Several NGOs providing aid in South Sudan are based here.
The topography is flat and is prone to flooding, although the city itself lies on higher ground that the surrounding plains. [3] The city lies close to the confluence of the Lol River with the Pongo River. The average elevation of the city of Aweil is about 425 metres (1,394 ft) above sea level. [4] During the rainy season, the plain-dwellers seek refuge on higher ground in the city of Aweil.
Socially and economically vibrant, Aweil is one of the most peaceful cities within South Sudan's Ten States. Peace within the region has provided an economic boost, secondly most Aweilians remain unaffected by political decision making, they no longer have issues with cattle raiding and ethnic or tribal violence.
The population of the Aweil city fluctuates. During the dry season, the population is lower as the plain-dwellers return to the plains to tend to their gardens and harvest their crops. When the rains come and the plains flood, they return to the city, to escape the raging waters. In November 2008, Médecins Sans Frontières estimated the town's population at about 100,000, but there is no verified population figure. [5]
The people of Aweil struggle day and night to plant trees that will change the climate of the area positively and harsh climate would be reduced. Hope is made possible through green environment.
In 2020, a combination of climate shocks together had a severe impact on food production. Delayed rains and drought-like conditions between May-July, followed by flooding from July-September interrupted the typical cultivation calendar. Atypically dry conditions meant households had to delay land preparation and seed planting, which led to reduced crop health and growth. Subsequent flooding meant that a large number of crops were destroyed, with many that could be salvaged uncultivable due to delayed planting.
Peoples of Aweil, Lou and Dinka are felt as the huge members of SPLM party among other three major capital cities of Bahr-el-Ghazal region's states.
Aweil is sporting town, it has many footballing clubs, it also has fans for Spanish major clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Aweil has a railway station on the line to Wau built in the 1960s. After a period of disuse due to civil war damage, the line and the station were restored to use in 2010. The railway passes through Aweil South County to Wau. Aweil is served by Aweil Airport to Juba. In 2012 the local airline stopped flying.[ citation needed ]
The current governor of Northern Bhar El Ghazal state is Tong Akeen Ngor.
University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal is located in eastern Mathiang residential area, just next to western UNMISS Compound.
On January 12th, 2024; Aweil teachers were seriously beaten, injured and arrested by the South Sudan National Police. 13 teachers were arrested by National Security, over 300 teachers were arrested, 23 were injured and 7 were critically injured by the police. This Aweil Teachers' Humiliation happened after the teachers asked and peacefully protested for their July doctored salaries.
Aweil is also the seat of an Anglican Diocese. Bishop Abraham Nhial is the Bishop of the Diocese of Aweil and the Cathedral is Holy Trinity Cathedral in Aweil, a medium-sized building of brick contraction in the typical cross floorplan common to many churches in Africa.
The Aweil Rice Scheme is a national farming project established by the Sudanese government in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, during the British rule in the late 1940's. It is the biggest rice farm in the country so far, stretching over about 11, 000 hectares. [6]
The following points of interest are found in or near Aweil:
Notable people
Northern Bahr el Ghazal(Arabic: ولاية شمال بحر الغزال) is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 30,543 km2 and is part of the Bahr el Ghazal region. It borders East Darfur in Sudan to the north, Western Bahr el Ghazal to the west and south, and Warrap and the disputed region of Abyei to the east. Aweil is the capital of the state.
Wau is a city in northwestern South Sudan, on the western bank of the Jur River, that serves as capital for Western Bahr el Ghazal. It lies approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi) northwest of the capital Juba. A culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse urban center and trading hub, Wau is also the former headquarters of Western Bahr el Ghazal.
Gogrial, or Qaqriyal, is a town in South Sudan.
Aweil Airport is an airport serving the town of Aweil, in South Sudan.
Wau Airport is a civilian airport that serves the city of Wau and surrounding communities. Feeder Airlines has three return flights a week between Khartoum-Wau-Juba. Southern Star Airlines used to provide service on Wednesdays and Sundays to Juba; however, this service has been suspended in 2011 when the airline ceased flying.
Aweil West County is an administrative area in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan.
University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal (UNBEG) is a university in South Sudan.
University of Bahr El-Ghazal (UBG) is a university in South Sudan located in Wau, the capital of Western Bahr El Ghazal State.
Paul Malong Awan, also known as Paul Malong Awan Anei, King Paul, and General Paul, is a South Sudanese politician and military figure. Until 16 May 2017 he was the Chief of General Staffs (COGS) of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The Chief of General Staffs was the highest-ranking military officer in the SPLA, and also the principal military adviser to the President of the Republic of South Sudan and the National Security Council.
The South Sudan National Cup is an annual knockout association football competition in men's domestic South Sudanese football. Organized by the South Sudan Football Association, the cup began in 2012, not long after South Sudan gained independence.
The Luwo are a Nilotic ethnic group that live in the western parts of South Sudan. They are part of a larger group of ethno-linguistically related Luo peoples of East Africa. They speak the Luwo language which is a Northern Luo language.
Aweil State was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it borders Gogrial to the east, Lol to the west, Aweil East to the north, and Wau to the south. Its capital and largest city was Aweil.
Wau State was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region, and was part of the former state of Western Bahr el Ghazal. Wau State bordered Aweil State, Gbudwe State, Gogrial State, Lol State, and Tonj State.
Gogrial State was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it bordered Twic to the north, Aweil East to the northwest, Aweil to the west, Wau to the southwest, Tonj to the southeast, and Northern Liech to the northeast.
Wau County is a county in Western Bahr el Ghazal state, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. Wau County was home to the state's capital, Wau. It is the most populous county in the state with over 232,910 people.
Wanjok is a town in the Aweil East County, Republic of South Sudan.
Mathiang Anyoor, also spelled Mathiang Anyur, also known as Dot Ke Beny, is a Dinka-affiliated militia group in South Sudan. Originally an ad-hoc volunteer force founded in 2012, the militia was transformed into a private army to protect President Salva Kiir Mayardit and army chief Paul Malong Awan. However, the South Sudanese military (SPLA) claims that it is just another battalion. Much of the ethnic violence against non-Dinkas in the South Sudanese Civil War is attributed to the militia.
The 2014 retreat from Western Bahr el Ghazal, also called the long march north, was an unorganized withdrawal by hundreds of Nuer Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) deserters who sought to flee from Bahr el Ghazal to Sudan during the South Sudanese Civil War. After longstanding tensions between SPLA soldiers belonging to the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups escalated on 25 April 2014, leading to a massacre of Nuer soldiers at Mapel in Western Bahr el Ghazal, a large number of Nuer SPLA soldiers deserted to escape ethnic prosecution and loyalist SPLA forces. Though some deserters joined SPLM-IO rebels or surrendered to the government, a large number of them marched northward, joined by other SPLA defectors from Northern Bahr el Ghazal. After covering over 400 kilometres (250 mi), this trek eventually arrived in Sudan on 4 August 2014, where they were disarmed.
Aweil South County, sometimes called Paliet, is an administrative area in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan, bordering Warrap State to the south. It is located in the southeastern part of NBGs. It is also known by the name Paliet, and one of the counties consisting of three major Dinka tribal groups: Ajak, Boncuai and Kongdeer. It was founded in 2000 and headquartered in Boncuai in a place called Mangar-Gier. In 2004, the headquarters were shifted to Malek Alel in Ajak. It is boardered to the north by Aweil East and to the west by Aweil Centre, to the south east by Gogrial State, and to the southwest by Western Barh el Ghazal state respectively.
Aroyo is a town in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan.