The rich Oilfield in Greater Upper Nile Region in northern and eastern South Sudan, which is constituted by Unity State, Upper Nile State and Jonglei State, is one of the most affected area in the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.
Unity State oilfield, where the great Nile Oil Pipeline comes from, is within the largest hydrocarbon accumulation in the Muglad rift basin and contains an estimated 150,000,000 barrels (24,000,000 m3) of oil.
Reports accessed by AMECEA Online News reveal that the Greater Upper Nile Region which also includes the Diocese of Malakal has been experiencing devastating effects of the armed conflicts and violence up to now. Information from various News agencies indicates that there are still some pocket of government resistance and attacks in the region.
The conflict which originated in Juba in December 2013 quickly spread to Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states. These three States apparently are inhabited predominantly by two ethnic groups, the Nuer (majority) and the Dinka (minority). That is why the conflict turned ethnic. (Jonglei was the state where so called the opposition leaders took control of Bor, the capital of Jonglei state). What followed were massacres of innocent people who had nothing to do with the power struggle between the political leaders.
Since then, Bor town has changed hands four times, between the government forces and the rebels; record Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile state, is yet to level or break. The violence that raged through Bor left many people, most of them civilian, dead and others forced away from their homes.
The conflict in these three states, Jonglei, Unity State whose capital is Bentiu and Upper Nile State whose capital is Malakal continue to affect the civilians despite peace talks being held in Ethiopia and Ceasefire signed.
The City of Malakal is completely destroyed and so as Bentiu. Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile States are rich in oilfield therefore the conflict between the government forces and the rebels seem to be over the controls.
South Sudan is divided into 10 states. They were created out of the three historic former provinces (and contemporary regions) of: Bahr el Ghazal (northwest); Equatoria (southern), and Greater Upper Nile (northeast). The states are further divided into 86 counties.
The ten states of South Sudan are grouped in the three historic regions namely
· Bahr el Ghazal (Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Warrap State and Lakes State)
· Equitorial (Western EquitoriaState, Central Equitoria State and Eastern Equitoria State)
· Greater Upper Nile (Unity State, Upper Nile State and Jonglei State)
The State capital of Central Equatoria, the smallest South Sudanese state by area, is Juba, which also serves as the Capital of South Sudan.
"Despite the fact that other states are not affected by the conflict, the effect of the conflict is felt throughout South Sudan", says one of the Catholic Nuns from Lake State who was in Nairobi for Training Workshop Organized by Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA).
Speaking to AMECEA Online News, the nun who opted to remain anonymous said that it is a heart breaking situation witnessing internally displaced people who have fled from their homes to other States. “These people are very vulnerable, they require shelter, food and other necessities which the humanitarian organizations and well wishers cannot fully provide for. The most affected are pregnant women, small children and the elderly,” she said.
Source: AMECEA Social Communications