Mayom, South Sudan
Encyclopedia
Mayom is a community in Unity State
of South Sudan
to the west of Bentiu
. It is the headquarters of Mayom County
.
In peacetime the area around Mayom was sparsely populated by nomadic herders, with about one person per square mile.
Mayom lies in the Block 4 oil concession to the south of the Kaikang oilfield.
(1983-2005) Paulino Matiep Nhial became an Anyanya II leader in the Western Upper Nile (now Unity) state, supported by the Sudan Government against the Sudan People's Liberation Army
(SPLA).
Based in the garrison town of Mayom, Paulino held a strategic position, preventing SPLA from Bahr el Ghazal
to the west from attacking the oilfields. In September 1988 Riek Machar
's SPLA forces captured Mayom.
In cooperation with army officer Omar al Bashir (soon to lead a coup and become President of Sudan) Paulino recaptured Mayom from the SPLA early in 1989.
A report on refugees fleeing northward from Mayom and other communities in April 1993 described how they were robbed on their few belongings by Arab militias. One man was killed from trying to keep his remaining money, about US$200.
Mayom was the base for the South Sudan Unity Army (SSUA) that Matiep formed early in 1998, incorporating his former Anyanya II
and South Sudan Defense Force (SSDN) Bul Nuer forces. The SSUA was supported by the Government of Sudan.
In September 1999 commander Peter Gadet Yak of the SSDN mutinied, going over to the SPLA, and on 29 September shelled Mayom, causing further flight of civilians to Block 5A
in the east of the state.
A report from 2000 described Mayom as "a decimated village within the Talisman oil concession" and said that the government of Sudan was no longer allowing humanitarian aid flights to land.
Unity (state)
Unity, sometimes known as Western Upper Nile, is one of the 10 states of the African nation of South Sudan. It has an area of 35,956 km². Unity, is inhabited predominantly by two ethnic groups, the Nuer and the Dinka ....
of South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
to the west of Bentiu
Bentiu
-Location:Bentiu is located in Rubkona County, Unity State, in northern South Sudan, near the International border with the Republic of Sudan. This location lies approximately , by road, northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in the country. Bentiu sits on the southern banks of the Bahr...
. It is the headquarters of Mayom County
Mayom County
Mayom County is an administrative region in Unity State of South Sudan to the west of Bentiu. The county headquarters is Mayom town.-Location:Mayom County is in the northwest of Unity State.The largest town is Mayom...
.
Location
Mayom was a major cattle trading center in Western Upper Nile (now Unity State), in Bul Nuer territory.In peacetime the area around Mayom was sparsely populated by nomadic herders, with about one person per square mile.
Mayom lies in the Block 4 oil concession to the south of the Kaikang oilfield.
Civil war
During the Second Sudanese Civil WarSecond Sudanese Civil War
The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
(1983-2005) Paulino Matiep Nhial became an Anyanya II leader in the Western Upper Nile (now Unity) state, supported by the Sudan Government against the Sudan People's Liberation Army
Sudan People's Liberation Army
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as a rebel political movement with a military wing known as the Sudan People's Liberation Army estimated at 180,000 soldiers. The SPLM fought in the Second Sudanese Civil War against the Sudanese...
(SPLA).
Based in the garrison town of Mayom, Paulino held a strategic position, preventing SPLA from Bahr el Ghazal
Bahr el Ghazal
The Bahr el Ghazal is a region of western South Sudan. Its name comes from the river Bahr el Ghazal.- Geography :The region consists of the states of Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Lakes, and Warrap. It borders Central African Republic to the west...
to the west from attacking the oilfields. In September 1988 Riek Machar
Riek Machar
Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon , is the first vice-president of the independent Republic of South Sudan.Riek Machar obtained a PhD in mechanical engineering in 1984 and then joined the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army during the Second Sudanese Civil War...
's SPLA forces captured Mayom.
In cooperation with army officer Omar al Bashir (soon to lead a coup and become President of Sudan) Paulino recaptured Mayom from the SPLA early in 1989.
A report on refugees fleeing northward from Mayom and other communities in April 1993 described how they were robbed on their few belongings by Arab militias. One man was killed from trying to keep his remaining money, about US$200.
Mayom was the base for the South Sudan Unity Army (SSUA) that Matiep formed early in 1998, incorporating his former Anyanya II
Anyanya II
Anyanya II is the name taken in 1978 by a group of Nuer dissidents who took up arms in eastern Upper Nile.The name implies continuity with the Anyanya, or Anya-Nya, movement of the First Sudanese Civil War ....
and South Sudan Defense Force (SSDN) Bul Nuer forces. The SSUA was supported by the Government of Sudan.
In September 1999 commander Peter Gadet Yak of the SSDN mutinied, going over to the SPLA, and on 29 September shelled Mayom, causing further flight of civilians to Block 5A
Block 5A, South Sudan
Block 5A is an oil concession in South Sudan.After oil field development began during the Second Sudanese Civil War, Block 5A was the scene of extensive fighting as rival militias struggled for control....
in the east of the state.
A report from 2000 described Mayom as "a decimated village within the Talisman oil concession" and said that the government of Sudan was no longer allowing humanitarian aid flights to land.