Tonj State 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 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it bordered Wau to the west,

Gbudwe Gbudwe Bazingbi (c.1835, also called Yambio) was the Azande King in South Sudan from 1870–1905. His real name was Mbio, which means "a kind of small antelope", but he renamed himself "Gbudwe", also written as Gbudue, meaning "to tear out ...

to the southwest,

Gogrial Gogrial, or Qaqriyal, is a town in South Sudan. Location Gogrial is located in ''center of the state'', Warrap State, close to the borders with the Republic of Sudan and the Abyei region. This location lies approximately , by road, northwest of J ...

to the northwest,

Northern Liech Northern Liech 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 Ruweng to the north, Western Bieh to the east, Southern Liech to the south, Tonj ...

to the northeast, Gok and Southern Liech to the east, and Western Lakes to the south and east.

History

On 2 October 2015, President

Salva Kiir Salva (Latin for "Save") may refer to: People * Francisco Salva Campillo (1751-1828), Spanish scientist *Ramon d'Salva (born 1921), Filipino actor * Héctor Salva (1939-2015), Uruguayan football midfielder * Salva Kiir Mayardit (born 1951), South ...

issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally established states. 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. In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states. Tonj State comprises what was formerly Tonj North, Tonj East and Tonj South Counties. The area is so large that at one time the South Sudan government considered dividing it up into two states instead of having one Tonj State. Previously, the areas comprising Tonj State had been part of Warrap State from 2011 to 2015. The city of Tonj serves the State Capital. Mathiang Magoordit is its current governor, Tonj was one of Western Bahr Al Ghazaal districts during 1944. The state cabinet, consisting of seven ministers and three advisors, was approved by the state's members of parliament in March 2016.

Resources

Tonj State has two major rivers: the

Jur River The Jur River (also Sue River) is a river in western South Sudan, flowing through the Bahr el Ghazal and Equatoria regions. About long, it flows north and northeast, joining the Bahr el Ghazal River on the western side of the Sudd wetlands. Th ...

in the northern part of the state and the

Tonj River The Tonj River, also called the Ibba River or Nyatt Ayok, is a river of South Sudan. It is a right tributary of the Bahr el Ghazal River. Course The Tonj River is a tributary of the Bahr el Ghazal River. The river originates in the south of the s ...

in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Much of the land is considered suitable for agrarian activities.

Administrative divisions

After the split up, Tonj State broke down even further for a total of 19 counties. Five new additional counties were created later on to bring the total of 24. The 24 counties are part of the 182 counties in South Sudan. Tonj State also contains the municipality of Tonj Town. The 24 counties are consisted of the following: * Former

Tonj North County Tonj North County is an administrative area in Warrap State, 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 ...

: ** Lou Ariik ** Akop ** Awul ** Kirik ** Konggor ** Manloor ** Marial Lou ** Pagol ** Rualbet ** Warrap * Former

Tonj East County Tonj East County is an administrative area in Warrap State Warrap (also spelled Warab), is a state in South Sudan located in the Bahr el Ghazal region. It has an area of 31,027 km². Overview Warrap State comprises an area of 31,027 km². Kua ...

: ** Luanyjang Centre ** Luanyjang East ** Luanyjang North ** Luanyjang South ** Ngapagok ** Thiik ** Palal ** Wunlit * Former

Tonj South County Tonj South County is an administrative area in Warrap State, 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 ...

: ** Jak ** Manyang-Ngok ** Thiet ** Tonj ** Wanhalel ** Mabior Yar

References

{{coord missing, South Sudan Bahr el Ghazal States of South Sudan