Wau State | |
|---|---|
 Location of Wau State in South Sudan | |
| Country | South Sudan |
| Capital | Wau |
| Number of Counties | 11 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | [1] |
| Population (2014 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 431,230 |
Wau State was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. [2] 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. [3]
Before Wau state was formed, its territory was part of the former state of Western Bahr el Ghazal. On 2 October 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally established states. [4] The decree established the new states largely along ethnic lines. A number of opposition parties and civil society groups challenged the constitutionality of the decree. Kiir later resolved to take it to parliament for approval as a constitutional amendment. [5] In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states. [6]
Elias Waya Nyipuoc was appointed as the governor for the state on 24 December 2015. [7] After the outbreak of major clashes betweening government forces and Fertit militias in 2016, however, Waya was replaced by Andrea Mayar Achor on the orders of President Kiir. [8] Mayar Acho was sacked in September 2017. He was succeeded by Angelo Taban Biajo as governor. [1]
On 22 February 2020, a peace deal ending the South Sudanese Civil War reverted the 28 states back to the original ten states, with Wau being reincorporated back into Western Bahr el Ghazal.
Wau State is located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it borders Aweil to the north, Gogrial to the northeast, Gbudwe to the south, Lol to the west, and Tonj to the east. [3]
Wau State is ethnically diverse, [9] as it lies on the tribal border between the Dinka and Fertit peoples, who constitute the region's majority. [10] Furthermore, numerous ethnic minorities live in the state, such as Luo, [11] [12] Jur Modo/Jur Beli, Balanda Boor/Balanda Bviri, [9] [11] [12] Ndogo, Keresh, [9] and Nuer. [13]
As of 2013, ethnic groups reported were Balanda, Azande, Bongo, Gollo, Ndogo, and Bai. Balanda made up the large ethnic group. [14]
The capital of Wau State is the city of Wau. The city of Wau is located on the Jur River in the state, and it is the second largest city in the country with an estimated population of 151,320 people in 2008. [15] Wau, South Sudan has its own airport, and the city is located 650 kilometers (404 miles) from Juba, the capital. [16]
After South Sudan was divided into 28 federated states in 2015, the newly constituted Wau State was divided into 8 counties. Each county also received a county commissioner. [17] Later Wau State announced an additional three counties by the Council of States of South Sudan, adding the total number to 11. [18]
Western Bahr el Ghazal is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 93,900 km2 (36,255 sq mi) and is the least populous state in South Sudan, according to the controversial Sudanese census conducted in 2008. It is part of the Bahr el Ghazal region. Its capital is Wau. The state shared international borders with Sudan to the north and the Central African Republic to the west. The portion now occupied by Raga County is the southern part of the historical region known as "Dar Fertit".
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.
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.
The States of South Sudan were created out of the three historic former provinces of Bahr el Ghazal (northwest), Equatoria (southern), and Greater Upper Nile (northeast). The states are further divided into 79 counties.
The 10 states and 3 administrative areas of South Sudan are divided into 79 counties.
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.
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.
The Lol State was a state of South Sudan with the capital in Raga, that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region, which is in the northwest section of the country. Lol state bordered Haut-Mbomou and Haute-Kotto in the Central African Republic to the west, South Darfur and East Darfur in Sudan to the north, the disputed region of Kafia Kingi to the northwest, Aweil East State to the northeast, Aweil State to the east, Gbudwe State to the south, and Wau State to the southeast. The state was created alongside 27 other states after a decree issuing the creation of 28 states took place. It was dissolved at the conclusion of the South Sudanese Civil War.
Twic 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 Aweil East to the west, the disputed Abyei region to the north, Gogrial to the south, Northern Liech to the east, and Ruweng to the northeast. The population of Twic State was recorded at 204,905 in 2008, and was estimated at a population of 543,410 in 2014. The capital of the state was Mayen-Abun, with an estimated population of around 2,000 people in city limits.
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.
Eastern Lakes 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 Southern Liech to the north, Western States to the west, Amadi to the southwest, Terekeka to the southeast, and Jonglei to the east.
Gok 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 formerly part of the Lakes State. Gok State bordered Tonj to the west and Western Lakes to the east. The state had a population of 117,755 in 2008 and an estimated population of 174,460 in 2014.
Western Lakes 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 Lakes State. It bordered Amadi State, Eastern Lakes State, Gbudwe State, Gok, Maridi State, Southern Liech State, and Tonj State.
Gbudwe State was a state of South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was created from Western Equatoria state. Tambura State was split from Gbudwe State on January 14, 2017. Gbudwe State was located in the Equatoria region. Gbudwe bordered the states of Lol, Maridi, Tambura, and Western Lakes, and also the province of Haut-Uélé in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haut-Mbomou in the Central African Republic. The state had a population of 364,272 in 2008.
Wau County is a county in the former state of Western Bahr el Ghazal, 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.
Armed clashes took in Wau State from late June 2016 to January 2019 between the Dinka-dominated Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and local opposition forces, consisting of tribal Fertit militias as well as fighters claiming allegiance to Riek Machar. It is unclear to what extent these rebels were actually part of the SPLM-IO or acting independently while using the SPLM-IO's name. The clashes resulted in the arrest of the state's governor, Elias Waya Nyipuoc, widespread death and destruction in the state capital, Wau town, and the displacement of up to 150,000 people.
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.