Maban County, Upper Nile State

DEMOGRAPHY

2008 Census population: 45,238

2020 Population projection*: 55,177

Ethnic groups and languages: Mabanese (Tom, Dagu, Buni), Burun, Dagu

Displacement Figures: 51,923 IDPs and 23,334 returnees (Q1 2020)

January 2020 IPC Projections: January 2020 – Emergency (Phase 4); February to April 2020 – Crisis (Phase 3); May to July – Emergency (Phase 4)

ECONOMY & LIVELIHOODS

Maban County is located in Upper Nile State. It borders the Blue Nile State of Sudan to the east, Longochuk County to the south, and Renk County and Melut County to the west.

The county is classified as part of the Northern sorghum and livestock livelihood zone (FEWSNET 2018). It is climatically semi-arid, with extreme heat and arid temperatures during the dry season and flooding during the rainy season. Maban is part of a large, flat flood plain that eventually drains into the White Nile. The Yabus River is Maban’s only permanent river, located in the southern part of the county. However, there are also other rivers such as Ahmar, Yale and the Tombak rivers. Yabus and other rivers have their origins in Ethiopia running through Sudan, into Maban and west towards the River White Nile.

It has a classic agro-pastoral system of production, with both cropping and livestock rearing being crucial components to livelihoods. These are supplemented by fishing and other livelihood activities such as labor migration and petty trade. The predominant livelihood in Maban County is sedentary agro-pastoralism. Approximately 50% of households in the county are estimated to be engaged in farming (FAO & WFP 2019), supplementing their livelihoods by raising (non-migratory) livestock, fishing, collecting honey, and making charcoal. The primary crops grown are sorghum, maize, beans, cowpeas, groundnuts, simsim (sesame) and okra (FEG 2013). Other crops include tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and chili. Crops are mostly cultivated at subsistence levels, and any surplus is often bartered for other goods. Livestock raised include cattle, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens. Formal employment opportunities in the area are rare. Lower-income residents primarily engage in the informal economy through bartering of labor and food rather than cash.

Historically, migratory pastoralism is another livelihood pillar in the county. People keep cattle and move them seasonally, according to the availability of pastures and water. Additionally, the county traditionally sees an annual migration of the nomadic Falata and Arab herders from Sudan in November (FEG 2013). These herders bring with them an estimated 200,000 head of livestock and remain in Maban until May. Cattle movements were significantly disrupted nationally by violence, with large-scale and long-distance displacement of livestock from the conflict-affected states (Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile) as well as concentrated and continuous movements of livestock in small areas (FAO 2014). In many areas of Upper Nile State, pastoralists reported significant decrease in their livestock populations. Additionally, herders among the Blue Nile refugees living in Maban County camps report that lack of veterinary medicines and vaccines has resulted in increased cattle disease and deaths.

In early 2016, food security projections placed the county at Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels. For the first half of 2020, Maban is projected to alternate between Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels of food insecurity. Several factors have historically limited supply of goods in markets, which has in turn affected food insecurity levels in the county. This includes systemic inter-communal violence, more ad hoc tensions over access to farming land, flooding, and the closure of Sudan’s borders following independence and the subsequent conflicts between the SPLA/SSPDF and opposition forces. Foraging for wild foods is practiced particularly during times of insecurity. Major flooding towards the end of 2019 hindered the stabilization of local food sources.

Until 2012, Bunj town was the only location in the county with a (small) market camp. Infrastructure and services in the county are limited despite the presence of the oil industry. The arrival of refugees and associated humanitarian aid in the county has encouraged the growth of markets, especially in Bunj. Feeder markets within South Sudan provide supplies for the markets in Maban, particularly following the closure of the border with Sudan.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

The county HQ is in Bunj town. The county has limited road network and has relied on humanitarian organizations to develop and repair local infrastructure. Extensive flooding in late 2019 led to three-quarters of settlements in Maban County becoming inaccessible (HNO 2020). These floods were the most destructive experienced in over four decades, with water levels rising over a meter, displacing more than 200,000 people, severely damaging livelihood assets, food crops and livestock (JRS 2020). Schools were destroyed during the floods, which also limited access to key services such as education. Some refugees who had their shelters destroyed during the flooding began to occupy key infrastructure, such as schools, which further limited access to education. The county primarily relies on international aid for educational services, including Alternative Learning Programs (ALP) for those who had their access to education delayed or interrupted earlier in life. The floods also reduced access to healthcare and damaged sanitation facilities, which was particularly problematic during a time when there was increased risk of water-borne diseases. According to UNHCR, the county hosts the Maban Referral Hospital, which serves the local population.

According to OCHA’s Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) for 2020, there are over 199,000 people with significant humanitarian needs in Maban County. This is equivalent to 108% of the estimated population of the county reported in the HNO. The large humanitarian need is attributed to the large number of refugees from Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, and IDPs that the county hosts. The refugee population is estimated to be between 142,000 – 150,000, which was a reduction from 200,000 in 2017 but is still many times larger than the estimated size of the host community (UNHCR 2020).

Refugees are currently located at Kaya, Yusuf Batil, Gendrassa and Doro camps within Maban. A REACH report in 2017 on the four refugee camps noted that 26% of refugee households had children that were not regularly attending school. Approximately 20% of households reported that family members were visiting Sudan on a temporary basis to cultivate or visit family. The majority were relying on two meals a day, and either bought food in the market or relied on foods assistance to support their household. REACH analysis from 2018 explores the push and pull factors accounting for outwards and inward movements to camps in Maban. Residents of the sites that arrived before 2011 were previously categorized as IDPs, however with the establishment of the new international border they became refugees.

CONFLICT DYNAMICS

Maban County has seen significant local violence over the last decade, as well as being a complex intersection of two civil wars – in both Sudan and South Sudan.

There has historically been conflict between local Maban groups and Dinka groups from Melut and Renk counties and Nuer from Longochuk County. Community consultations carried out in 2012 found that drivers included competition over water for people and animals, food insecurity, land and border disputes, and tension over taxation rights with neighbouring counties such as Melut, Longochok and Renk (UNDP 2012). In particular, conflict drivers include competition over access to wood, land for farming as well as grazing land especially around Banshowa and Dajo areas between Maban and Longochuk. This was compounded by flooding in late 2019, which made many areas of the county inaccessible to humanitarian organizations, and limited infrastructure and services even further. However, intermarriage and commercial ties – especially with Gajaak Nuer from Longochuk County – have helped to mitigate the escalation of such conflicts.

Sudan’s civil war over the border in the Blue Nile state has had a detrimental impact on Maban County. The Sudanese government periodically bombed sites in Maban County, claiming that the SPLA was supporting the SPLA-North active in Blue Nile, even as the SPLA-IO used rear bases in Blue Nile to train its troops. The scale of the refugee influx from Sudan has seen host communities significantly outnumbered and natural resources – including, land, food, and shelter material – strained. Consequently, tensions between the two communities have risen, frequently escalating into violent conflict. The alleged presence of armed SPLA-N soldiers in refugee camps in Maban and widespread availability of small arms among both host community and refugees, combined with pressure from local authorities advocating (and in March 2014 requiring) has further contributed to ongoing tensions.

The tensions between host and refugee communities has been exacerbated by the host communities’ perception that they do not benefit from refugee response and that NGOs hiring practices have lead providing jobs and resources to South Sudanese from elsewhere in the county. This has made safe access for humanitarian organizations a recurrent concern. This is demonstrated by a deadly attack on several South Sudanese aid workers by local militias in August 2014 and attacks on UN and NGO compounds in Bunj in July 2018 and December 2019. This followed a series of events, in which aid organizations faced access issues including the commandeering of vehicles, fixing of market prices and imposed fees.

Maban County was relatively peaceful immediately following the outbreak of the civil war in December 2013 and, in January 2014, the commissioner affirmed his county’s allegiance to the national government. However, both the SPLA and the SPLA-IO have used local militia forces in Maban County to pursue their interests. In early 2014, communities began to organize local defense groups such as the Maban Defense Force (MDF), which clashed with Nuer civilians in July and August 2014. The SPLA supported and armed the MDF but does not exert outright control of it. In January 2015, tensions emerged between the SPLA and the MDF when the militia refused to integrate into the SPLA. While the county largely remained under control of local Mabanese militias and the SPLA through much of 2015, by late 2015, SPLA-IO forces had displaced the militias and government through a series of intermittent, small-scale offensives. The militia-related violence has reduced significantly since the signing of the peace agreement in September 2018, though tensions and occasional attacks against aid workers – such as the one referenced above – continue.

ADMINISTRATION & LOGISTICS

Payams: Bunj (County HQ), Banshowa, Junkuata, Jinmakda, Khor El Amer
Roads:

• A major road connects Maban town (or Bunj) west to Melut county, through Paloch. The Logistics Cluster listed the road as “green” and open during the dry season, but with a closed, “red” warning label in the rainy season.
• A secondary road leads east into the Blue Nile region. The seasonal road conditions are unknown.

UNHAS-Recognized Heli-Landing Sites and Airstrips: Maban
Alternative Heli-landing sites and airstrips listed by local actors: Bunj and Banshowa

REFERENCES

FAO & WFP. (2019). Special Report: FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to South Sudan. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/ca3643EN/ca3643en.pdf

FEG. (2013). Livelihood Baselline Profile: Maban County Upper Nile State South Sudan 2013. Retrieved from: https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/28747

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

FEWSNET. (2019). Risk of farming (IPC phase 5) will persist in 2020 despite slight improvements during harvesting period. Retrieved from: https://fews.net/east-africa/south-sudan/food-security-outlook/october-2019

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

OCHA. (2019). Humanitarian Needs Overview: South Sudan 2020.

REACH. (2017). Inter-agency Multi-sector Needs Assessment (MSNA) Doro, Yusif Batil, Kaya and Gendrassa refugee camps, Maban County. Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/reach_ssd_msna_maban_report_dec17_0.pdf

REACH. (2018). South Sudan: Camp profile—Doro—Maban County, Upper Nile State (March 2018). Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/south-sudan-camp-profile-doro-maban-county-upper-nile-state-march-2018

UNDP. (2012). Community Consultation Report: Upper Nile State South Sudan. Retrieved from: www.undp.org/dam/UNDP-SS-UpperNile-consult-12

UNHCR. (2020). Sudan refugee response plan for South Sudanese (January 2019—December 2020). Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-refugee-response-plan-south-sudanese-january-2019-december-2020

REPORTS on MABAN

Bloesch, U., Schneider, A. & Lino, C.J.T. (2013). Towards an environmental strategy for Sudanese refugee hosting areas in Upper Nile and Unity States, South Sudan. Retrieved from http://www.adansonia-consulting.ch/document/Environmental%20inception%20mission.revised%20report.pdf

Craze, J. (2013). Dividing lines: Grazing and conflict along the Sudan-South Sudan Border. Retrieved from: https://gsdrc.org/document-library/dividing-lines-grazing-and-conflict-along-the-sudan-south-sudan-border

Grawert, W. & Adra, C. (u.d.). Brief 48: Oil Investment and Conflict in Upper Nile State, South Sudan. Retrieved from https://www.bicc.de/uploads/tx_bicctools/BICC_brief_48.pdf

HSBA. (2011). Fighting for spoils: Armed insurgencies in Greater Upper Nile. Retrieved from: http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/fileadmin/docs/issue-briefs/HSBA-IB-18-Armed-insurgencies-Greater-Upper-Nile.pdf

HSBA. (2016). The conflict in Upper Nile State. Retrieved from: http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/facts-figures/south-sudan/conflict-of-2013-14/the-conflict-in-upper-nile.html

Hutton, L (u.d.) Displacement, disharmony and disillusion: Understanding host-refugee tensions in Maban County, South Sudan. Retrieved from https://danishdemininggroup.dk/media/1309840/Displacement-Disharmony-and-Disillusion-DDG-South-Sudan.pdf

REACH. (2020). Situation Overview: Upper Nile State, South Sudan January—March 2020. Retrieved from: https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/situation-overview-upper-nile-state-south-sudan-january-march-2020

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) (2020). South Sudan: devastating flooding displaced thousands of people
https://jrs.net/en/news/south-sudan-devastating-flooding-displaced-thousands-of-people

Wiri, C.W.et al. (2013). Rapid Market Assessment: Maban, County, Upper Nile State, South Sudan.

Special Report: FAO/WFP crop and food security report (April 2016) in Maban County https://www.google.com/search?client/firefox-b-d&q/2016/FAO/livelihood/report/Maban/county

UNHCR report, October 2019: Unprecedented flooding affect thousands of locals, refugees in South Sudan https://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2019/10/5da977fe4/unprecedented-flooding-affects-thousands-locals-refugees-south-sudan.html

Young, H. Cormack, Z. (2012). Pastoralism in the New Borderlands: Cross-border Migrations, Conflict and Peace-Building. Retrieved from: https://fic.tufts.edu/assets/Pastoralism-in-the-New-Borderlands.pdf