Demography
2008 Census population: 73,806
2020 Population projection*: 138,460
Ethnic groups and languages: Rek Dinka (Malual-Paliet), Luo/‘Jur Chol’
Displacement Figures: 14,466 IDPs and 26,630 returnees (Q1 2020)
January 2020 IPC Projections: January 2020 – Crisis (Phase 3); February to April 2020 – Crisis (Phase 3); May to July – Emergency (Phase 4)
Economy and Livelihood
Aweil South County is located in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State. [2] It borders Aweil Centre to the west and Aweil East to the north. It also borders Warrap State [3] (Gogrial West County) to the east and Western Bahr el-Ghazal State (Jur River County) to the south.
The county falls under the western flood plains sorghum and cattle livelihood zone (FEWSNET, 2018 [4] ), with grassland, swampy areas with papyrus reed, and pockets of forest being found in this area. According to a 2018 report by FAO and WFP, approximately 70% of households are estimated to engage in farming. [5] The main crops in this region are sorghum, sesame, maize, groundnut and vegetables. The state agriculture minister has stressed the importance of using ox ploughs and in late 2015 announced the county had recently trained 750 ox-plough bulls.
The economy of Aweil South – and Northern Bahr el-Ghazal more broadly – has undergone a major transformation towards markets and commercialisation of labour. Decades of conflict and insecurity within South Sudan and across the border in Darfur/Kordofan have accelerated pre-existing patterns of migration through forced displacement from Aweil to Sudan and elsewhere. The rapid repopulation of the area since the early 2000s placed the local markets and ecology under such pressure that cash and markets became an increasingly vital means for survival. Periodic closures of the border with Sudan (with which local markets have been historically integrated), runaway inflation and widespread insecurity since 2012 have further deepened this trend. This has been reflected in high levels of food insecurity, indebtedness and exploitation as part of agricultural labour or participation in armed groups (Kindersley and Majok 2019).
This structural economic transformation partly explains why food insecurity has continued to be a challenge for Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State despite its relative stability. Aweil South County was classified as being at Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels of food insecurity at the beginning of 2016. During 2020, IPC projections estimate that the county will remain at this level, until mid-year when it is expected to increase to Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of food insecurity. Flooding is a regular concern for both agriculturalists and pastoralists. Aweil South County is the county most prone to flooding in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. An Associated Press article documented that communities in Aweil South were verging on famine in early 2017, and starting to depend increasingly on foraging for wild foods to supplement their diet (Mednick, 2017). The few food distributions points in the area at the time were often too far for rural residents to access. According to an IRC report from 2018, 60% of children that needed interventions due to malnourishment were not receiving it. Floods in 2019 led to parts of the county being submerged, and land typically used to grow staples such as cereal was impacted.
Administration and Logistics
Payams listed in Government and UN documents: Nyocawany I (County Headquarters), Ayai, Gakorl/Gakrol, Nyieth, Nyocawany II, Panthou, Tar-weng, Tiar-aleit, Wathmuok
Alternative list of payams provided by local actors:Nyocawany (County Headquarters), Ayai, Gakorl/Gakrol, Majok-Abyei, Nyieth, Panthou, Tiar-aleit, Wathmuok
Lakes State is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 43,595.08 km2. Rumbek is the capital of the state. Lakes is in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan, in addition to Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Warrap states. Bahr el Ghazal itself was a former province which was split from the Anglo-Egyptian mudiriyat, or province of Equatoria in 1948. The eastern border was the White Nile with Jonglei State on the opposite bank. To the northeast lied the Unity State. Other borders included Warrap State towards the northwest, Western Equatoria to the south and west, and Central Equatoria to the south.
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.
Warrap is one of the ten states in South Sudan, located in the Bahr el Ghazal region. The state became part of South Sudan after a successful secession from Sudan on 9 July 2011. Wanhalel, the place where first Jieng Customary Laws were initiated and hometown to prominent politician, Gen. Nhial Deng Nhial is located in Tonj South County of Warrap State The current governor is Kuol Muor Muor who replaced Manhiem Bol Malek in November, 2023.
The Bahr el Ghazal is a region of northwestern South Sudan. Its name came from the river Bahr el Ghazal. The name translates as "sea of gazelles" from Arabic.
Gogrial, or Qaqriyal, is a town in South Sudan.
Tonj is a town located in Warrap State, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. It is known by various names, including Kalkuel, Genanyuon, Jurkatac, Madiera, BaburWasaka, Genngeu, and Tonjdit. The town is bordered by Rumbek, Cueibet, Yambio, Bentiu, and Gogrial. As of 2010, its population is 17,340.
Aweil is a city in South Sudan and the capital of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
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Kuajok, also spelled as Kuacjok or Kwajok, is a city in South Sudan, and the capital of Warrap State.
Aweil East County is a county in South Sudan.
Aweil West County is an administrative area in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, South Sudan.
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.
Aweil East also known as Abiem, was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It had an estimated population of 571,728 people and an area of 6,172.23 KM square. It was located in northern-western South Sudan. Its capital and largest city was Wanyjok. The state is located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it bordered Twic State and Gogrial State to the east, Aweil State to the south, Lol State to the west, the disputed Abyei State region to the northeast, and Sudan to the north.
Tonj 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 Wau to the west, Gbudwe to the southwest, Gogrial to the northwest, Northern Liech to the northeast, Gok and Southern Liech to the east, and Western Lakes to the south and east.
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.
Tiar Aliet is a payam in the Aweil South County of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. It's the first most populous town in Boncuai Community followed by Panthou
Tiar-aleit is a boma in Tiar-aleit payam, Aweil South County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. It is the largest and the headquarters of the Boncuai Community. It is also the educational and business center to the community
Minister Joseph Lual Acuil Lual, also written as Joseph Lual Achuil, is a South Sudanese politician and civil servant, and the father of the Melbourne United basketball player Jo Lual-Acuil.
Tonj North County is an administrative area in Warrap State, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan.
Tonj South County is an administrative area in Warrap State, in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan.
South Sudan