West Equatoria - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Western Equatoria is one of the 10 states 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...

. It has an area of 79,319 km². Its capital is Yambio

Yambio

-Location:The city is located in Yambio County, Western Equatoria State, in southwestern South Sudan, close to the International border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its locacation lies approximately , by road, west of Juba, the lagest city in South Sudan and the capital of that country...

. The state is divided into counties, each headed by a County Commissioner. Western Equatoria seceded from Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

as part of the Republic of South Sudan on 9 July 2011.

History

In the 1880s, Western Equatoria was home to the Azande administration of King Gbudwe

Gbudwe

Gbudwe was an Azande ruler in Sudan in 1870 - 1905.His real name was Mbio - which means a kind of small antelope - but this was obviously not good enough for him, because he changed it to the one by which he is better known, and which has the meaning of "to tear out a man's intestines".Edward Evan...

, which ruled much of the area at the time.

In the middle of twentieth century, after Sudan's independence in 1956, a number of southern Sudanese independence liberation movements, such as the Anyanya

Anyanya

The Anyanya were a southern Sudanese separatist rebel army formed during the First Sudanese Civil War . A separate movement that rose during the Second Sudanese Civil War were, in turn, called Anyanya II...

and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M), led by John Garang de Mabior

John Garang

John Garang de Mabior was a Sudanese politician and rebel leader. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People's Liberation Army during the Second Sudanese Civil War, and following a peace agreement he briefly served as First Vice President of Sudan from January 2005 until he died in a July 2005...

, made their impact on the area, as they envisioned a New Sudan.

Current conflict

In 2005 a peace treaty was signed, but there is still some insurgent activity.

The Lord's Resistance Army

Lord's Resistance Army

The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...

(LRA), under the command of Joseph Kony

Joseph Kony

Joseph Kony is an African terrorist who is the head of the Lord's Resistance Army , a guerrilla group that is engaged in a violent campaign to establish theocratic government based on the Ten Commandments in Uganda...

, moved its base from Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

to the southern Sudan

Sudan

border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and operates in the Western Equatoria region. Before the 2005 peace deal, the LRA had used Western Equatoria as a base for its operations against the Ugandan government of President Yoweri Museveni

Yoweri Museveni

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is a Ugandan politician and statesman. He has been President of Uganda since 26 January 1986.Museveni was involved in the war that deposed Idi Amin Dada, ending his rule in 1979, and in the rebellion that subsequently led to the demise of the Milton Obote regime in 1985...

. But SPLA troop patrols in the region largely maintain control.

In 2009 local communities in Western Equatoria formed a self protection unit, the Arrow Boys, using traditional weapons such as bows

Bow (weapon)

The bow and arrow is a projectile weapon system that predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.-Description:A bow is a flexible arc that shoots aerodynamic projectiles by means of elastic energy. Essentially, the bow is a form of spring powered by a string or cord...

, arrow

Arrow

An arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...

s and spear

Spear

A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...

s to combat the LRA.

Counties

There are a total of 10 counties in Western Equatoria:

Yambio County
Nzara County
Ibba County
Ezo County
Maridi East County
Tambora County
Mundri West County
Mvolo County
Najero County
Mundri County

Economy and demographics

The economy of Western Equatoria is largely agricultural, with high quality timber being one of its most important products.

Western Equatoria had an estimated population of 1,731,341, as of 2006, and is home of the Azande people, the third largest nationality in South Sudan.

Government

Governor: Col Joseph Bakosoro
Secretary General for the Government: Alfred Riruyo Ngbakogbe
Deputy Secretary General: Alfred Riruyo Ngbakogbe
Deputy Governor and Minister of Information & Communication: Col Joseph Ngere Paciko
Director General: Jackson Hussein
Minister of Local Government & Law Enforcement: Col Ismael Sidigi
Director General: Aggrey Brown Soro
Minister of Education, Science & Technology: Majur Babur Ajala
Director General: Naama Bullen
Minister of Finance, Trade & Industry: Charles Abdu Ngamunde
Ag/Director General: Paul Dasio
Minister of Health: Paulino Zizi Bugwa
Ag/Director General: Raphael Tarifa
Minister of Agriculture, Animal Resource and Forestry (MAAF): Prof Mathew Udo
Director General: Samuel Anibie Datiro
Minister of Social Development: Grace Jeremiah Datiro
Director General: Anthony Moudie
Minister Physical Infrastructure and Public Utilities: William Ngalamu
Ag/Director General: Dunstun Wajo
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs: Major General (Prison), Moses Simangi Sogora

Advisors

Political Affairs: Paul Tambua Erua
Security Affairs: Jasmine Samuel Adakkayi
Economic Affairs: John Erisa
Agricultural Affairs: Faustino Mokorondere
Gender, HIV/AIDS: Mary Biba

State Assembly Business Committees

Speaker: Mr. Richard Noti (SPLM)
Deputy Speaker: Mr. Abas Bullen (UDSF)

County Commissioners

Yambio County: David Billy Apanetus
Nzara County: Lieutenant Colonel Santina Sitta Ndefu
Ezo County: Ambrose Raphael Tamania
Tambura County: Pauda Baabe Sungu
Nagero County: Joseph Natale Sabuni
Ibba County: Moses Bakote Kalisto
Maridi County: Mathius Boy Onji
Mundri-East: Lieutenant Colonel Wilson Api
Mundri-West: Bullen Abiatara Ariwari
Mvolo County: Wilson Abraham

External links

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