Leer County is an administrative division of

Unity State Unity State, also known as Western Upper Nile, is a state in South Sudan. Unity State is in the Greater Upper Nile region. Unity is inhabited predominantly by two ethnic groups: the Nuer majority, and the Dinka minority. In 2015, a preside ...

in the

Greater Upper Nile The Greater Upper Nile () is a region of northeastern South Sudan. It is named for the White Nile (it is its lowest portion in South Sudan), a tributary of the Nile River in North Africa, North and East Africa, East Africa. History The Greater ...

region of

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 ...

. The headquarters is in the town of Leer. In December 2009, traffic police established roadblocks along the road between Panyijar County and Leer and demanded high bribes from travelers who wanted to pass. In March 2011 the Governor of Unity State,

Taban Deng Gai Taban Deng Gai is a South Sudanese politician who has been one of the Vice Presidents of South Sudan in the unity government since February 2020. He served as the First Vice President of South Sudan from 23 July 2016 to February 2020. He was min ...

, launched a drive to recruit men for the army. In April, Leer County police were reportedly enrolling young men into the

Sudan People's Liberation Army The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the military force of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 1983 and was a key parti ...

by force, apparently on orders from the County Commissioner, who was in turn obeying the Governor's orders. On 12 May 2011, landmines on the road from Leer to

Bentiu Bentiu, also spelled Bantiu, is a city in South Sudan. It is the capital of Unity State. Location Bentiu is located in Rubkona County, Unity State, in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan, near the international border with the Republic ...

exploded, destroying two vehicles, killing three people, and seriously injuring others. The border of Sudan to the north was blocked, causing shortages of supplies, and there were rumors that militias were moving south through the county.

References

{{reflist Counties of Unity State