Central Equatoria is 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 ...
. With an area of , it is the smallest of the original
South Sudanese
South Sudan is home to around 60 indigenous ethnic groups and 80 linguistic partitions among a population of around million. Historically, most ethnic groups were lacking in formal Western political institutions, with land held by the communit ...
states. Its previous name was Bahr al-Jabal (also
Bahr-el-Jebel), named after a tributary of the
White Nile that flows through the state. It was renamed Central Equatoria in the first Interim Legislative Assembly on 1 April 2005 under the
government of Southern Sudan. Central Equatoria seceded from
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
as part of the
Republic of South Sudan on 9 July 2011. The state's capital,
Juba, is also the national capital of
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 ...
. On October 2, 2015, the state was split into three states:
Jubek,
Terekeka
Terekeka is a community in Central Equatoria, South Sudan. It is the headquarters of Terekeka County. , and
Yei River. The state of Central Equatoria was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 February 2020.
Administrative divisions
Central Equatoria, like other states in South Sudan, is subdivided into counties, which are further divided into
Payams, then
Bomas. Each county is led by a County Commissioner, appointed by the State
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
in consultation with the President. They are:
*
Juba County
Juba County is an administrative area in Central Equatoria state, South Sudan. It was the largest county in Central Equatoria and one of the largest in the entire region of Equatoria. Its county seat was Juba, the state capital of Central Equat ...
*
Lainya County
*
Morobo County
*
Terekeka County
*
Yei River County
*
Kajo Keji County
Major cities and towns of Central Equatoria include
Juba,
Kajo Keji,
Liria,
Mongalla,
Wonduruba,
Rokon,
Tali,
Terekeka
Terekeka is a community in Central Equatoria, South Sudan. It is the headquarters of Terekeka County. ,
Yei,
Ji-Menze,
Tombek,
Tindilo,
Kaya,
Muni,
Morobo,and
Rijong. The major border crossing to the neighboring
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
is at
Dimo, a village in the state.
Demographics
Major tribes of Central Equatoria have included the
Mandari,
Pojulu,
Kakwa,
Keliko
Keliko or Kaliko is an ethnic group from South Sudan, bordering Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. Most members of this ethnic group are Christians.{{cn, date=December 2022
They speak the Keliko language, which is a Nilo-Saharan langua ...
,
Kuku,
Lugbara,
Avukaya,
Baka
Baka, baká or BAKA may refer to:
Ethnicities and languages
* Baka people (Cameroon and Gabon), an African ethnic group
* Baka people (Congo and South Sudan), an African ethnic group
* Baka language, a dialect cluster of Cameroon and Gabon
* Baka ...
,
Nyangwara,
Adio Adio may refer to:
Business
*Adio (company), the former skateboard footwear and apparel company
Music Songs
* "Adio" (song), a song by Montenegrin recording artist Knez that represented Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015
*"Adio", a 19 ...
, and
Lulubo. Minor tribes have included the Nyepo in Northern
Kajo Keji County and the
Lokoya along the
Nimule
Nimule is a city in the southern part of South Sudan in Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria. It lies approximately , by road, southeast of Juba, the capital of South Sudan and largest city in the country. The town also lies approximately , by road, n ...
Road. Erasto Gonda, Senior Folklore Officer for Central Equatoria's information ministry, further detailed the State's demographics:
Culture and languages
Due to the
South Sudanese Civil War
The South Sudanese Civil War was a multi-sided civil war in South Sudan between forces of the government and opposition forces. In December 2013, President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar and ten others of attempting a coup d'éta ...
, the state's culture was heavily influenced by the countries neighboring South Sudan. Many South Sudanese fled to
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
,
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
and
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
, where they interacted with the nationals and learned their languages and culture. Most of those who remained in the country or went north to
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
assimilated into Arab culture.
It is also worth noting that most South Sudanese diaspore kept the core of their culture even while in exile. Traditional culture is highly held and great attention is given to knowing one's origin and dialect. Although the common languages spoken are
Juba Arabic
Juba Arabic (, ; ar, عربية جوبا, ‘Arabīyat Jūbā), also known since 2011 as South Sudanese Arabic, is a lingua franca spoken mainly in Equatoria Province in South Sudan, and derives its name from the South Sudanese capital, Juba ...
and English,
Swahili began to be introduced to the population to improve the country's relations with its
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historica ...
n neighbors. Many people from Central Equatoria use English, Kiswahili, Juba Arabic, their dialect, or a mixture of the languages mentioned.
Government
Directly before Central Equatoria split up into three separate states in 2015, the government was as shown:
*Governor –
Emmanuel Adil Anthony
*Deputy Governor – Sarah Nene Redento
Advisors
# Angelo Daya Loku, peace and security (SSOA)
# David Wani , Economic affairs (IO)
# Jacob Gore Samuel, Legal Affairs (IG)
# JeniferYobu, Human Rights (IG)
# Mariam A. Zachariah, Fever and social welfare (IG)
Ministers
# Hon. Wayi Godwin Edward, Minister of Cabinet Affairs (IO)
# Hon. Moro Isaac Geneios, Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement (SSOA)
# Hon. Gerald Francis Nyukuye, Minister of Peace Building (IG)
# Hon. Taban Emmanuel Baya, Minister of parliamentary and Legal Affairs (IO)
# Hon. Andruga Mabe Severio,
Minister of Information and Communication (OPP)
# Hon. Rita Dominic Lado, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (IG)
# Hon. Diana Susu Hassan, Minister of Finance, Planning, and Investment ( IG)
# Hon. Wani Tom Sebit, Minister of Trade and Industry (IG)
# Hon. Lily Kufuki Paul, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, and Forestry (SSOA)
# Hon. Alex Latio Elia, Minister of Animal Resources, Fisheries and Tourism (IG)
# Hon Peter Lujo Yospeta, Minister of Cooperative and Rural Development (IO)
# Hon. Flora Gabriel Modi,Minister of Housing, Land and Public Utilities (IG)
# Hon. Mawa A. Moses, Minister of Roads and Bridges (IG)
# Hon. Modi John Molla, Minister of Labor, public services and Human Resource (IG)
# Hon. Nejua Marsha, Minister of Heath (IG)
# Hon. Cirisio Zachariah, Minister of General Education and Instruction (IO)
# Hon. Bullen Soro Amos, Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare (IG)
Independent Commissions
# George Wani Elia, Anti- corruption (IO) deputized by Kenyi Abiaso
# Asio Moses John, employees justice chamber (IO) deputized by Huda Michael Laila
# Marino Michael Sebit, HIV/AIDS (SSOA)
# Felix Lado Johnson, PRC (IG) deputized by Amal Suleiman
# Isaac Wuri Eluni, Human Rights (IG) deputized by Emmanuel kose Wani (IO)
# Henry Kala Sabuni, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (IG) deputized by Amule Barnabas Lemi
County commissioners
# Hon. Charles Joseph Wani, Juba county ( SSOS)
# Hon. Aggrey Cyrus, Yei River County (IG)
# Hon. Joseph Mawa, Morobo County(IG)
# Hon. James Lino Malou Anok, Terekeka county(IO)
# Hon. Emmauel Khamis Richard, Lainya County (IG)
# Hon. Kenyi Erasto Michael, Kajo-Keji (IO)
See also
*
Mundari people
The Mundari are a small ethnic group of South Sudan. They are a part of the Karo people, one of the Nilotic peoples.
The group is composed of cattle-herders and agriculturalists and are part of Karo people which also includes Bari, Pojulu, Ka ...
*
Bari people (South Sudan)
*
Pojulu Tribe
*
Keliko People
Keliko or Kaliko is an ethnic group from South Sudan, bordering Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. Most members of this ethnic group are Christians.{{cn, date=December 2022
They speak the Keliko language, which is a Nilo-Saharan langua ...
*
Equatoria
Equatoria is a region of southern South Sudan, along the upper reaches of the White Nile. Originally a province of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it also contained most of northern parts of present-day Uganda, including Lake Albert and West Nile. It ...
**
Western Equatoria
**
Eastern Equatoria
References
South Sudan Internet radio* Interview with Erasto Gonda 'Tribes Of Central Equatoria
* 'GLOBAL: Protect rights of minorities to avoid conflict, NGO urges.
* 'Violence, Sacrifice, and Chiefship in Central Equatoria Southern Sudan.
External links
Video of Equatorians AbroadEquatorians AbroadUNHCR Sudan Operations: Sudan/Chad situation update 42, 8 Dec 2005describing name change
State Government Profile
{{South Sudan political divisions
Central Equatoria,
States of South Sudan