Aweil East County, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State

DEMOGRAPHY

2008 NBS Census population: 309,921
2021 NBS PES population estimate*: 807,041
2022 UN OCHA population estimate*: 345,540

Ethnic groups: Rek Dinka (Malual: Abiem)

Displacement Figures Q3 2022: 17,455 IDPs (+11,964 Q1 2020) and 456 returnees (-35,926 Q1 2020)

IPC Food Security: November 2022 – Emergency (Phase 4); IPC Projections: December 2022 to March 2023 – Emergency (Phase 4); April to July 2023 – Emergency (Phase 4)

ECONOMY & LIVELIHOODS

Aweil East County is located in Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State. It borders Aweil North County and Aweil West County to the west, Aweil Centre County to the south-west, and Aweil South County to the south. It also borders Warrap State (Gogrial West and Twic Counties) to the east, Abyei to the north-east, and Sudan to the north.

The county falls under the western flood plains sorghum and cattle livelihoods zone (FEWSNET 2018) where the residents are mostly agro-pastoralists. According to a FAO and WFP (2018) report, 80% of households in Aweil East are estimated to engage in farming, declining slightly to 78% by 2021. Gross cereal yields in the county were put at 0.8 tonnes per hectare in 2021 (FAO/WFP 2022), decreasing to 0.7 tonnes per hectare in 2022 (FAO/WFP 2023). The sandy soil considered most fertile is generally found in the county’s north near the contested border with Sudan. The main crops were sorghum, sesame, maize, groundnut and vegetables. Cattle raids were a perennial issue as herds migrate from the highlands to lowlands in the dry season until the 1990s, although more recent conflicts have tended to arise between Dinka Malual and pastoralists from Sudan than within Dinka communities.

Key markets serving the county are found in Malualkon, Akuem, Malualbaai, Warawar and Wanyjok, which draw people from the more rural parts of the county. The economy of Aweil East – and Northern Bahr el-Ghazal more broadly – has undergone a major transformation towards markets and commercialisation of labour. Decades of conflict and insecurity within South Sudan and across the border in Darfur/Kordofan have accelerated pre-existing patterns of migration through forced displacement from Aweil to Sudan and elsewhere. The rapid repopulation of the area since the early 2000s placed the local markets and ecology under such pressure that cash, wages and markets became an increasingly vital means for survival. Periodic closures of the border with Sudan (with which local markets have been historically integrated) and runaway inflation since 2012 have further deepened this trend. This has been reflected in high levels of food insecurity, indebtedness and exploitation as part of agricultural labour or participation in armed groups (Kindersley and Majok 2019).

This structural economic transformation partly explains why food insecurity has continued to be a challenge for Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State despite its relative stability. The IPC projections for the county was at Emergency (IPC Phase 4) level in November 2022, and is projected to remain at Emergency levels throughout the first half of 2023 due to persistent food insecurity in the county.

Natural disasters, erratic rainfall and changes in weather patterns have sustained food insecurity in Aweil East, as well as the state as a whole, with minimal resources for the local population to recover when food supplies in the area are low. Rivers within the county are partly seasonal and flooding is a regular concern for both agriculturalists and pastoralists, which exacerbates food insecurity (WFP 2018). During the rainy season lowland areas are often cut off from the rest of the county. In 2021, flooding once again affected the county and Aweil East was deemed a county with over 25,000 flood-affected people by ECHO and a flood-affected county by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre.

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES

The county headquarters are located in Wanyjok/Mabil, in Mangar Tong 1 Payam. The town of Aweil is the capital of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State and falls on the border of Aweil Centre, Aweil West and Aweil East Counties. Disagreement had previously arisen over the precise county boundaries in part due to competition over the right of county governments to tax and govern populations within the disputed area. This resulted in a decision to administer Aweil Town as a separate administrative area governed by a municipal council instead of county governments. Despite this, several maps – including the UN OCHA map on which these county profiles are based – erroneously place Aweil Town in Aweil West County.

Aweil East is home to one hundred and eighty-five (185) primary schools and eleven (11) secondary schools located across the county. There are currently no Early Childhood Development centres located in Aweil East County.

Aweil East County was reported to have fifty-six (56) health facilities including fifty-one (51) functional health facilities, among them forty -four (44) PHCUs and seven (7) PHCCs in 2022. Although one (1) hospital was reported to be functional in 2021, there were no functional hospitals listed in 2022. This means that there were an estimated 1.70 PHCUs per 15,000 people and 1.01 PHCCs per 50,000 people according to the WHO.

According to OCHA’s Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2023, over 259,000  people are in need in Aweil East County (up from 235,500 in 2021). This is one of the largest numbers in South Sudan and is approximately 75% of the estimated population for the county reported in the HNO. The county has a severe level of humanitarian needs, primarily impacting children. In 2020, it was among the ten counties considered to have “catastrophic” levels of protection needs in South Sudan, and GBV needs were among the highest in the country. Following the outbreak of fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan in April 2023, 914 people fleeing the conflict in Sudan were registered at Majokyithiou close to the (disputed) border with Sudan (UNHCR/IOM 2023).

CONFLICT DYNAMICS

The county has historically been impacted by communal clashes, particularly with other counties as well as with the Misseriya from Sudan due to the county’s proximity to the border with Sudan. Yet, intra-communal violence within Aweil East and within Northern Bahr el-Ghazal more general declined during the second civil war (1983-2005), while clashes between Misseryia and Rizequat pastoralists from Sudan and Dinka from Northern Bahr el-Ghazal continue albeit at a lower level than in the past. Meetings to discuss access to pasture by Misseriya herders in Aweil East and to settle disputes involving Dinka and Misseryia traders and community members more generally take place in Aweil East each year. Additionally, forces from the South Sudan Patriotic Movement (SSPM) were active in the area, led by Costello Garang Ring, which led to displacement and interrupted economic activities.

ADMINISTRATION & LOGISTICS

Payams listed in Government and UN documents: Mangar-Tong (County Headquarters in Wanyjok/Mabil), Baac/Baach, Madhol, Malual Bai, Mangok, Wounlang/Wunlang, Yargok/Yargot
Additional payams listed by local actors: Mayom-Wel.

UN OCHA 2020 map of Aweil East County: https://reliefweb.int/map/south-sudan/south-sudan-aweil-east-county-reference-map-march-2020

Roads:

• A primary road from Aweil Town to the Sudan border passes through Aweil East County. This road was deemed passable by the Logistics Cluster during both the rainy season of 2022 and dry season of 2023.
• Another primary road runs from Aweil West County to Twic County of Warrap State (and eventually to the disputed Abyei area), via Wanyjok and Malualkon. Seasonal road conditions are unknown.
• A network of secondary and tertiary roads connects towns throughout the county (particularly in north-western and southern areas of the county). Seasonal road conditions are unknown.

UNHAS-recognised Heli and Fixed-Wing Airplane Airstrips: None
Additional MAF-Recognised Airstrips: Akuem, Malualkon

REFERENCES

Boswell, A. (2019). Insecure Power and Violence: The Rise and Fall of Paul Malong and the Mathiang Anyoor. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Eye Radio. (2022). Death toll rises to 24 in Misseriya attack in Aweilv. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

FAO/WFP. (2023). Special Report: FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to South Sudan. Retrieved 31 July 2023. See equivalent versions of the CFSAM report online for data from previous years.

FEWSNET. (2018). Livelihoods Zone Map and Descriptions for the Republic of South Sudan (Updated). Retrieved 10 July 2023.

Juba Monitor. (2022). Misseriya peace talks suspended in Aweil. Retrieved via Wayback Machine 18 July 2023.

Kindersley, N. and Majok, J. (2019). Monetized Livelihoods and Militarized Labour in South Sudan’s Borderlands. Rift Valley Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

OCHA. (2021). Humanitarian Needs Overview: South Sudan 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2023.

Radio Tamazuj. (2017a). Government troops say repulsed rebel attack in Aweil East. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Radio Tamazuj. (2017b). Malong’s associates go into hiding in Aweil East state. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Radio Tamazuj. (2021a). Post-migration conference concludes in Aweil East. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

RadioTamazuj. (2021b). UNIFSA begins to withdraw troops from Aweil North, East Counties. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Radio Tamazuj. (2021c). Aweil-Mairam road closed due to insecurity. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Radio Tamazuj. (2021d). South Sudan, Sudan border reopening stalled. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Rift Valley Institute (RVI). (2019). Kiir Consolidates Power through Border Deal with Khartoum
RVI Field Update #1: South Sudan and Sudan. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

WFP. (2018). South Sudan Integrated Context Analysis. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

WHO. (2020). Weekly Bulletin on Outbreaks and Other Emergencies. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

WHO. (2019). Humanitarian Situation Report Issue #17 22 – 28 April 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

UNHCR/IOM. (2023). Population Movement from Sudan to South Sudan. Information from interactive dashboard retrieved 20 July 2023.

UNMISS. (2019). UNMISS facilitates migration dialogue between Arab nomads and host community in Aweil East. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

REPORTS on AWEIL EAST

Boswell, A. (2019). Insecure Power and Violence: The Rise and Fall of Paul Malong and the Mathiang Anyoor. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Coutts, P., Fielding, W., Gullick, C. and Sharp, B. (2000). An Introduction to the Food Economy Research in Southern Sudan, 1994–2000 Volume Two. World Food Programme, Save the Children UK. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

IOM (2013). Village Assessment Survey: County Atlas. Retrieved from https://iomsouthsudan.org/tracking/sites/default/publicfiles/documents/NBeG_AweilEast_Atlas.pdf

Kindersley, N. and Majok, J.D. (2020). COVID-19 in South Sudan’s Borderlands A view from Northern Bahr el-Ghazal. Rift Valley Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Kindersley, N. and Majok, J.D. (2020). Breaking Out of the Borderlands: Understanding migrant pathways from Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, South Sudan. Rift Valley Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Kindersley, N. (2018). Politics, power and chiefship in famine and war A study of the former Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state, South Sudan. Rift Valley Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Leonardi, C and Santschi, M. (2016). Dividing Communities in South Sudan and Northern Uganda: boundary disputes and land governance. Rift Valley Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Majok, J. D. (2021). War, Migration and Work – Agricultural labour and cross-border migration from Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, South Sudan. Rift Valley Institute. Rift Valley Institute. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Ouma, C. (2011). Knowledge, attitudes and practices of caretakers of malnourished children in Aweil East and North Counties, South Sudan. Southern Sudan Medical Journal 4(1) p.17-19. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Rift Valley Institute. (2020). South Sudan: Hussein Abdel Bagi deepens his control of the borderland. RVI Field Update 5. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Save the Children. (2012). Children in and out of schools: Baseline of 37 Primary Schools in Aweil East County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State South Sudan Volume ii. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

Small Arms Survey. (2014). The 14-Mile Area: Describes events through 25 October 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2023.

* Note: The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Population Estimation Survey (PES) was published in April 2023 based on data collected in May-June 2021. This uses a different method to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Population Working Group (PWG) figures produced based on a combination of 2008 census data and population movement data up to 2022. The large discrepancies are primarily attributable to these different methods rather than changes in the actual population numbers over time and have been disputed by some civil society and analysts. Although the later PWG figures were produced more recently for the HNO 2023, at the request of the Government of South Sudan the data and method used by the PES is being used as the basis for the Common Operational Dataset (COD) for the UN system for the HNO 2024 and likely beyond. For further detail on this and other sources used in the county profiles, see the accompanying Methodological Note.