Ayod County (or Yod County) is an administrative area in

Jonglei State Jonglei State is a state of South Sudan with Bor as its centre of government and the biggest city. Jonglei state comprises nine counties: Bor, Akobo, Ayod, Uror, Duk, Nyirol, Pigi, Twic East, and Fangak. Jonglei State is the largest st ...

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...

, with headquarters in

Ayod Ayod is a town in Jonglei, South Sudan, headquarters of Ayod County. The Nuer people are the main inhabitants. Riek Machar, first vice-president of South Sudan, is the 26th son of the chief of both Ayod and Leer. A study of the village in Decemb ...

. Its inhabited by Gawaar Nuer categorically composed by major clans of Chieng- Kapel, Bhaang, Chieng -Thony, Chieng - Nyadakuon, Jithiep, Chieng-Pear, and Chieng-Nyaiguak. In the January 2011 referendum the results were unanimously in favor of independence from

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

Health issues

A study of Ayod village in December 1994 examined 759 people and found that 156, or 20.6%, had Guinea worm lesions.

Dracunculiasis Dracunculiasis, also called Guinea-worm disease, is a parasitic infection by the Guinea worm, ''Dracunculus medinensis''. A person becomes infected by drinking water containing water fleas infected with guinea worm larvae. The worms penetrate t ...

, the parasitical infection by the

Guinea worm ''Dracunculus medinensis'', or Guinea worm, is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis, also known as guinea worm disease. The disease is caused by the female which, at up to in length, is among the longest nematodes infecting humans. In contr ...

is caused by drinking contaminated water, and can be eliminated by providing a clean water supply. Levels of the bacterial eye disease

trachoma Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by bacterium ''Chlamydia trachomatis''. The infection causes a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain in the eyes, breakdown of the outer surface or cornea of ...

are extremely high among residents of the county. In February 2011 it was reported that the county had been hit by a severe water shortage. This was caused by a combination of lack of rain, increasing numbers of returnees and failure by the authorities to repair over 10 boreholes.

Security problems

In 2004 there were clashes between the Padang and Ciendool of Cienthoony from the Gawaar

Nuer Nuer may refer to: * Nuer people * Nuer language The Nuer language (Thok Naath) ("people's language") is a Nilotic language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia (region of Gamb ...

section in Ayod County. 35 people died in three separate fights. The cause of dispute was complex but seems to have involved the right to move cattle across community lands. In February 2011 there were clashes in Ayod County between

Sudan People's Liberation Army The South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF), formerly the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), is the army of the South Sudan, Republic of South Sudan. The SPLA was founded as a guerrilla movement against the government of Sudan in 198 ...

troops and armed supporters of General George Athor Deng Dut. George Athor had lost the April 2010 gubernatorial election for Jonglei state, and had accused SPLM officials of rigging the results in favour of

Kuol Manyang Juuk Kuol Manyang is a South Sudanese politician. He is a member of the SPLM. He became governor of Jonglei state on 15 December 2007, following the first former governor, Philip Thon Leek from Dinka Bor, to curb cattle raiding and abduction of childre ...

, who was elected. At least 20 people died in the clashes. In May 2011 unidentified men raided Kuanydeng village in the Ayod South area, stealing a large herd of cattle. Six people died during the raid including three attackers. The Jonglei minister of law enforcement,

Gabriel Duop Lam Gabriel Duop Lam is a South Sudanese politician. As of 2011, he was the Minister of Law Enforcement in the state of Jonglei. A SPLA major, Lam has also served as commissioner of Ayod County Ayod County (or Yod County) is an administrative area in ...

, said that absence of mid-lower teeth and small body scars on the bodies of the attackers indicated they were

Murle people The Murle are a Surmic ethnic group inhabiting the Pibor County and Boma area in Greater Pibor Administrative area, South Sudan, as well as parts of southwestern Ethiopia. They have also been referred as ''Beir'' by the Dinka and as ''Jebe'' b ...

. The attack followed a much larger raid the month before by Nuer Lou on Murle in

Pibor County Pibor is a county in the Pibor Administrative Area, South Sudan. The county was part of the erstwhile Jonglei state. During the 2011–2012 South Sudan tribal clashes some six to eight thousand "armed raiders" entered the county in late December ...

in which over 400 people died. Kuanydeng is in the south of the county, near the border with

Duk County Duk is a county in Jonglei, South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central Afri ...

. The stolen cattle were reportedly being driven between Duk and Pajut and moving in the direction of Pibor. Police were handicapped in stopping the movement due to lack of trucks or helicopters with which to give chase.

References

{{Jonglei Counties of Jonglei State