Akobo was a state in
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
that existed between 14 January 2017 and 22 February 2020.
History
Akobo County
Akobo County is a county in South Sudan.
Location
The county is located in Jonglei State, in eastern South Sudan, bordering the country of Ethiopia. The county headquarters at Akobo are located approximately , by road, northeast of Juba, the ca ...
was separated from
Bieh State
Bieh State (previously named Eastern Bieh State) was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Greater Upper Nile region and it bordered Fangak to the west, Central Upper Nile to the n ...
and made a separate state with the increase in the number of states from 28 to 32 on January 14, 2017. Gabriel Gai Riam was appointed governor on January 16, 2017, after the creation of the state, but was removed and replaced by Johnson Gony Bilieu two days later.
Timothy Taban Juch was appointed governor on August 19, 2019 after the death of Johnson Gony Bilieu on July 4, 2019.
Upon its creation, a large part of Akobo State was held by the
SPLM-IO
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (abbreviated SPLM-IO), also known as the anti-governmental forces (AGF), is a mainly South Sudanese political party and rebel group that split from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in 20 ...
.
Akobo experienced heavy flooding in late 2019.
Demographics
Akobo State is inhabited by the
Anyuak
The Anyuak, also known as Anyua and Anywaa, are a Luo Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting parts of East Africa. The Anuak belong to the larger Luo family group. Their language is referred to as Dha-Anywaa. They are primarily found in Gambela Region ...
and the Lou subgroup of the
Nuer. Some Anyuak were unhappy with the creation of the state, feeling that it was created for the Lou Nuer, although the feeling was not unanimous among the Anyuak.Anyuak feel betrayed because akobo is their historical land
References
States of South Sudan
{{SouthSudan-stub