Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State

DEMOGRAPHY

2008 NBS Census population: 99,234
2021 NBS PES population estimate*: 101,474
2022 UN OCHA population estimate*: 104,986

Ethnic groups: Didinga and Buya/Larim**

Displacement Figures Q3 2022: 9,665 IDPs (+6,351 Q1 2020) and 12,410 returnees (+8,998 Q1 2020)

IPC Food Security: November 2022 – Crisis (Phase 3); IPC Projections: December to March 2023 – Crisis (Phase 3); April to July 2023 – Emergency (Phase 4)

ECONOMY & LIVELIHOODS

Budi County is located in Eastern Equatoria State. It borders Lopa/Lafon County to the north-west, Kapoeta North County to the north-east, Kapoeta South County and Kapoeta East County to the east, Ikotos County and Torit County to the west. It also shares a border with Uganda to the south-east. The area is known for the Didinga Hills, named after one of the ethnic groups that inhabits the area.

The county is categorized within the highland forest and sorghum livelihoods zone (FEWSNET 2018). Agriculture and pastoralism are the primary livelihoods in Budi, with sorghum, maize, millet, sesame and beans being the main crops grown in the area. A 2018 report estimated that 85% of households engage in agriculture (FAO/WFP 2018), with the same estimate being reported in data from 2022 (FAO/WFP 2023). In 2022, gross cereal yields were estimated to be 1.3 tonnes per hectare (FAO/WFP 2023).

Deforestation in Budi has made forestry a less viable livelihoods for local populations, as South Sudan and local communities do not have re-forestation practices in place. Although it is unclear exactly how many residents engage in artisanal mining, many residents in the area – especially young men – have pursued gold mining to support their households. Cattle grazing and displacement in the area has also impacted the quality of arable land, which has led to farmers cultivating in areas where the soil quality is lower. Additionally, successive droughts have impacted locally sourced food supplies and swarms of desert locust significantly reduced crop harvests throughout 2020.

The IPC projected the county as being at a crisis (IPC level 3) level of food insecurity in November 2022, with conditions projected to persist at the same level until March 2023, whereupon they are predicted to decline to emergency levels (IPC level 4) between April and July 2023.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

The county headquarters are currently located in Chukudum in Komiri Payam. While the county lacks primary roads connecting it to Uganda, the county’s position on the border means it is host to a modest cross-border trade and a cross-border market connecting Budi County to Beri in northern Uganda was opened in 2017. However, sustained insecurity in the area has impacted major transportation and trade routes, which have limited supplies to local markets. A REACH assessment conducted in March 2019 revealed that 64% of assessed households reported that they have to travel anywhere from one hour or multiple days to access a market.

Budi County is home to seven (7) Early Childhood Development centres, forty-eight (48) primary schools and three (3) secondary schools. Two of the secondary schools are located near the county capital in Komiri Payam while Lotukei Secondary is located in Lotukei Payam.

Budi County was reported to have twenty-three (23) health facilities including twenty-one (21) functional health facilities, among them fourteen (14) PHCUs, six (6) PHCCs and one (1) hospital in 2022. This means that there were an estimated 2.0 PHCUs per 15,000 people and 2.86 PHCCs per 50,000 people according to the WHO. The Chukudum Civil Hospital was reported to be moderately functional.

According to OCHA’s Humanitarian Needs Overview for 2023, 75,976 people in the county have humanitarian needs (up from 46,000 in 2021), which represents 72% of the estimated population for Budi County reported in the HNO. Additionally, an insecure context has also limited development initiatives in the area and prevented consistent access to aid organizations. The killing of an aid worker in March 2021 traveling from Chukudum to a health facility in Kapoeta was widely condemned and raised calls for security-related improvements in the county and more widely.

CONFLICT DYNAMICS

Situated in the eastern bank of the Kidepo Valley along the Ugandan border, Budi County is enmeshed in the long-standing patterns of conflict and co-operation that stitch together the various groups based in and around the valley. The name of Budi County derives from the two ethnic groups that have historically resided in the area – the Buya/Larim and the Didinga (Walraet 2008, fn.40). The Buya/Larim are reported as tending to reside in the low-lying northern areas of the county, whereas the Didinga tend to have occupied the southern areas (OCHA 2005). Budi’s largest town, Chukudum, is notable for being the site of the April 1994 SPLM/A National Convention, during which a number of political, institutional, and legal reforms were outlined (SPLM 1994; Rolandsen 2005). In December of the same year, a series of meetings in the town resulted in the Chukudum Accord that consolidated links between the SPLM/A and northern Sudanese opposition groups, and established a set of common principles among the parties for a future political dispensation in Sudan (Collins 1999).

The security context in Budi County has been impacted by violence from multiple sources since the 1980s. The SPLM/A arrived in Budi in 1985 to an initially warm reception, though relations reportedly deteriorated between the movement and parts of the local community (including traditional authorities) over the following years (Walraet 2008, p.56, 63). In 1992, the SPLM/A moved its Equatoria headquarters to Chukudum after losing the town of Torit, bringing large numbers of soldiers and IDPs to the area. Chukudum became one of a number of towns in the area to experience fighting between government (and government-aligned) forces and the SPLM/A, with pro-government forces repulsed during an attack on the town in late 1993 (Simonse 2000, p.25). Meanwhile, the increased presence of SPLM/A forces in and around Chukudum resulted in further tensions and clashes with parts of the Didinga community, while the area became a hub for cross-border trade into Kenya and Uganda (Johnson 2003, p.109). Cross-border trade that had primarily been based on tobacco from the Didinga Hills increasingly became associated with the trade in (sometimes stolen) cattle and firearms into Agoro in northern Uganda, while competition over the control of commodity chains was linked to further friction within Budi (Walraet 2008).

 In 1999, in-fighting was reported within the SPLM/A stationed in Budi – known locally as the ‘Chukudum Crisis’ – resulting in an escalation of violence involving soldiers from parts of the Dinka and Didinga communities, and a number of landmines being laid in the area (OCHA 2005, p.3). The violence also increased insecurity at Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya, resulting in a number of deaths, injuries, and torching of shelters at the camp (Kurimoto 2004, p.39). Localised insecurity persisted in parts of Budi until a local peace agreement was signed in 2002 (Walraet 2008), and reportedly flared again in 2006 (UN 2006).

Following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, conflict increased in and around Budi County, with the violence often relating to disputes over boundaries and/or resources. Within Budi, low-level conflict involving parts of the Buya/Larim and Didinga communities was reportedly linked to elements of the Buya/Larim to establish a county based around their perceived ethnic boundaries (Walraet 2008, p.64), in line with a general ethnicisation of administrative boundaries that has occurred in much of Eastern Equatoria State (Okech 2015). Tensions between parts of the Didinga and Toposa communities of nearby Kapoeta also persisted during this time, despite a 2003 peace agreement being reached between the two groups to curb prior conflict (OCHA 2005, p.3). In May 2007, reports emerged of an alleged attack on Didinga civilians by an armed group reported to be from the Toposa community in north-eastern Budi, resulting in a significant loss of life (Sudan Tribune 2007). The incident was variously reported as being linked to a boundary dispute over a potential gold mining site, and/or to local political rivalries (Walraet 2008, pp.64-66; Schomerus and Allen 2010, p.61). Finally, long-standing patterns of cross-border raiding – alongside attempts at re-establishing more peaceable relations – have involved groups from Budi and Ikotos counties, and are discussed further in the profile for Ikotos County.

During the national conflict (2013-2018), though Budi experienced a more limited degree of conflict and insecurity relative to other areas of the country, localised tensions and intermittent violence was reported in 2014 and 2015. Insecurity primarily related to political tensions between parts of the Didinga and Buya/Larim communities, alongside tensions between some residents of Budi and local authorities and the military (UNMISS/HRD 2015; UNHRC 2015). In one incident of localised violence in February 2014, sixteen people were killed and a number of houses were burned down, leading to short-term displacement (Eye Radio 2014). In October 2016, fighting among military units broke out in the county. Limited information on the fighting exists, with some reports indicating the fighting involved SPLA forces and alleged deserters, who temporarily seized control of Chukudum town (Radio Tamazuj 2016). The violence resulted in significant displacement, with returnees reportedly returning to their homes to find that food and possessions had been looted (REACH 2017).

After the signing of the R-ARCSS in 2018, Budi has experienced escalating insecurity, including road ambushes and violence often organised along ethnic lines. This has included cross-border raiding between parts of the Toposa community of Kapoeta North and South counties on the one hand, and parts of the Buya/Larim and Didinga groups on the other. Within Budi County, recent tensions between the Buya/Larim and the Toposa have tended to be concentrated within grazing areas of Kimotong Payam (UNDP 2020, pp.11-13). However, tensions between parts of the two communities escalated markedly in early 2021, leading to significant violence around Camp 15 in central Budi, including an attack on the convoy of the Eastern Equatoria State Governor (Radio Tamazuj 2021; UNSC 2021, p.5). Clashes were also reported in a gold mining area within Kimotong Payam in mid-2023 (The Radio Community 2023), and further clashes occurred along a disputed border area between Budi and Kapoeta South counties in January 2024 (Eye Radio 2024). Tensions between some residents of Chukudum and elements of the security services has also been reported (Radio Tamazuj 2023a), while insecurity along roads has persisted, which have affected the aid and humanitarian sector (Radio Tamazuj 2022; Radio Tamazuj 2023b).

ADMINISTRATION & LOGISTICS

Payams: Kimotong, Komori (County HQ in Chukudum), Loriyok, Lotukei, Loudo, Nagishot, Napak, Nauro

UN OCHA 2020 map of Budi County: https://reliefweb.int/map/south-sudan/south-sudan-budi-county-reference-map-march-2020

Roads:

• A primary road from Torit town to Kapoeta town runs east-west through northern Budi County, and was passable during both the rainy season of 2022 and dry season of 2023. A tertiary road connects Chukudum town to this primary road at Camp 15 (and later forks to Lafon and Kapoeta North counties), though the condition of the tertiary road network is unknown.
• A secondary road connects Chukudum town to Kapoeta South County, terminating in Kapoeta town. This road was deemed passable during both the rainy season of 2022 and dry season of 2023.
• A secondary road connects Chukudum town Ikotos town to the west. The condition of the road is unknown.
• A secondary road also runs south to the border with Uganda, via Kikilai village (from where a separate tertiary road runs west to southern Ikotos County). The condition of these roads is unknown.

UNHAS-recognised Heli and Fixed-Wing Airplane Airstrips: None

Additional MAF-Recognised Airstrips: Chukudum, Kimotong and Naqichot/Nagshot

REFERENCES

Collins, R.O. (1999). ‘Africans, Arabs, and Islamists: From the Conference Tables to the Battlefields in the Sudan’. African Studies Review 42 (2), pp. 105-123. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Eye Radio. (2014). Investigation into Budi County killings begins. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Eye Radio. (2024). 8 killed in Kapoeta gold mine attack: commissioner. Retrieved 29 January 2024.

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.

Johnson, D.H. (2003). The Root Causes of Sudan’s Civil Wars. Oxford: James Currey.

OCHA. (2005). Sudan Transition & Recovery Database: Budi County. Retrieved via WayBack Machine on 24 January 2024.

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

Okech, A. (2015). ‘How has conflict been described in post-CPA writing on the Greater Equatoria region? An overview of recent literature.’ in Schomerus, M. (eds.) Conflict and Cooperation in the Equatorias, pp.21-41. AECOM/USAID.

Radio Tamazuj. (2016). Gunmen control part of Chukudum town in Eastern Equatoria. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Radio Tamazuj. (2021). 14 killed, 7 critically injured in Camp 15 attack. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Radio Tamazuj. (2022). Budi County authorities investigate ambush of humanitarian vehicle. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Radio Tamazuj. (2023a). Three aid workers stripped, tortured in Budi County. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Radio Tamazuj. (2023b). National Security officer killed by angry mob in Budi. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

REACH. (2017). Overview of Settlements in Budi County – Assessment of Hard to Reach Areas in Eastern Equatoria State, November 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

REACH. (2020). Integrated Needs Tracking (INT) County Profile – Budi County. Retrieved 13 July 2023.

Rolandsen, Ø. (2005). Guerrilla Government: Political Changes in the Southern Sudan during the 1990s. Mordiska Afrikainstitutet.

Schomerus, M. and Allen, T. (2010). Southern Sudan at odds with itself: dynamics of conflict and predicaments of peace. Retrieved 17 November 2023.

Simonse, S. 2000. Conflicts and Peace Initiative in East Bank Equatoria, South Sudan: 1992-1999 (draft). Pax Christi. Retrieved via Sudan Open Archive on 19 January 2024.

SPLM, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement. (1994). A Major Watershed: SPLM/A First National Convention Resolutions, Appointments and Protocol. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

Sudan Tribune. (2007). Cattle raiders kill 54 in Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

The Radio Community. (2023). Gunmen kill 7 people in Budi. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

UN. (2006). United Nations Sudan Situation Report 23 Jun 2006. Retrieved via ReliefWeb on 24 January 2024.

UNHRC. (2015). Human rights situation in South Sudan: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/28/49. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

UNMISS/HRD. (2015). The State of Human Rights in the Protracted Conflict in South Sudan. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

UNSC. (2021). Situation in South Sudan: Report of the Secretary-General, S/2021/566. Retrieved 24 January 2024.

REPORTS on BUDI

Kurimoto, E. (2004). A Report of the Evaluation Survey on Peace-Building Programmes in the East Bank, Equatoria Region, South Sudan, Sponsored by Pax Christi Netherlands. Retrieved via Sudan Open Archive on 24 January 2024.

Presbyterian World Service & Development. (2022). Chukudum Crisis Peace Conference 20 Aug 2002. Retrieved via ReliefWeb on 24 January 2024.

Schomerus, M. (2008). Violent Legacies: Insecurity in Sudan’s Central and Eastern Equatoria. Small Arms Survey/HSBA. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

Simonse, S. (1992/2017). Kings of Disaster: Dualism, Centralism and the Scapegoat King in Southeastern Sudan. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.

UNDP. (2020). Greater Kapoeta Conflict and Gender Assessment. Retrieved 14 July 2023.

Walraet, A. (2008). Governance, violence and struggle for economic regulation in South Sudan: the case of Budi County (Eastern Equatoria). Afrika Focus 21(2) p.53-70. Retrieved 14 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.

 ** Note: Although most groups and official documents refer to this group as the ‘Buya’ (sometimes spelled ‘Boya’), most Buya people themselves prefer the term ‘Larim’. This is similar to the way the ‘Dinka’ refer to themselves as the ‘Jieng’, or the ‘Shilluk’ refer to themselves as the ‘Chollo’.