Josephine Apieu Jenaro Aken (1 May 1955 – 2 May 2008), a member of the Luo group from the

Bahr el Ghazal Bahr el-Ghazal (, also transliterated ''Bahr al-Ghazal'', ''Baḥr al-Ghazāl'', ''Bahr el-Gazel'', or versions of these without the hyphen) may refer to two distinct places, both named after ephemeral or dry rivers. Chad * Bahr el-Ghazal (wadi in ...

area, was born in

Wau Wau may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Papua New Guinea * Wau, Papua New Guinea * Wau Airport (Papua New Guinea) * Wau Rural LLG, (local level government) South Sudan * Wau State, South Sudan * Wau, South Sudan, city * Wau railway s ...

Western Bahr el Ghazal Western Bahr el Ghazal is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of and as of 2020 has estimated 600,000 in population. It is part of the Bahr el Ghazal region. Its capital is Wau. The state shared international borders with Sudan to the north ...

South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the north by Sudan; on the east by Ethiopia; on the south by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Kenya; and on the ...

. She was a member of the

Sudan People's Liberation Movement The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM; , ''Al-Ḥarakat ash-Shaʿbiyyat liTaḥrīr as-Sūdān'') is a political party in South Sudan. It was initially founded as the political wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA; a key belli ...

Early life and education

Josephine Aken was born in Wau, South Sudan and studied telecommunications at Juba Training Centre in

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum is the capital city of Sudan as well as Khartoum State. With an estimated population of 7.1 million people, Greater Khartoum is the largest urban area in Sudan. Khartoum is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flo ...

. She later went to the UK to study business at the

Open University The Open University (OU) is a Public university, public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by List of universities in the United Kingdom by enrolment, number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate ...

Career

Josephine Aken started her career as a postal office worker. From 1973 to 1976, she worked at the Department of Education in South Sudan. In 1976, she shifted her career to coordination and worked in Khartoum until 1987. In 1987, Aken moved to the United Kingdom. She co-created the SWA in February 1991 and was the organization's chair from 1994 to 2000. After resigning from her seat as chair, she became the SWA's coordinator.

Politics

Before joining the Government of South Sudan, she was the Director of the Sudan Women Association based in London Abbey Community Centre, Kilburn, London, UK. She was a senior civil servant in the Government of

Southern Sudan Southern Sudan may refer to: * the southern regions of the present-day Republic of Sudan in North Africa * South Sudan South Sudan (), officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the nor ...

. From 1994 to 2008, Aken served in the National Liberation Council for the

(SPLM).

Charity Work

In 2000, Josephine Aken was appointed the chair for the Camden And Westminster Refugee Training Partnership. She remained at the charity until 2004. A few years later, in 2006, Aken moved back to South Sudan and was selected to direct the Southern Sudan Employees Justice Commission (SSJEC).

Death

On May 2, 2008, Josephine Aken died in a plane crash alongside her husband Minister for SPLA Affairs General Dominic Dim Deng, in

Juba, Sudan Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the most recently declared national capital and had a population of 525,953 in 20 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aken, Josephine Apieu Jenaro 1955 births 2008 deaths People from Western Bahr el Ghazal Luo people South Sudanese civil servants 20th-century women civil servants Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Sudan South Sudanese women in politics 21st-century South Sudanese women politicians 21st-century South Sudanese politicians Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2008 Luo women