Chukudum is a Town in

Budi County Budi County is an administrative area of Eastern Equatoria state in South Sudan, with headquarters in Chukudum. Location Budi county is derived from two ethnic groups who inhabit the area (Buya and Didinga). It is located in Eastern Equatoria St ...

of the

Eastern Equatoria Eastern Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 73,472 km². The capital is Torit. On October 1, 1972, the state was divided into Imatong and Namorunyang states and was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 Febru ...

state of

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 ...

Location

The town lies at the base of the Didinga Mountains, which are often shrouded in clouds, in spectacularly beautiful country. It is accessible only by a rough track. In May 2009 road construction resumed after being interrupted when the local people complained that the road was too wide, taking up too much land.

People

The predominant tribe is the

Didinga The Didinga (diDinga) are a Surmic ethnic group that occupy the Didinga Mountains region in Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan. They live in the valleys, on the plateaus and slopes, and on the adjacent plains of the region. Their n ...

. Many people keep cattle as well as farming. The main crops are sorghum, simsim, maize, tobacco, and beans. Sources of conflict include cattle raiding, armed robbery, disputes over bride prices and disputes over farmland, water and pasturage. Disputes with internally displaced people and armed deserters from the army are also ongoing problems. A June 2007 report for UNHCR noted that most families did not have latrines, and there were no public latrines. The town hosts a hospital and a primary health unit, as well as two primary schools and two secondary schools. Women had to travel 10–12 km to obtain firewood, and are at danger from attack by cattle raiders. Security is still poor. In February 2011 two Catholic priests from the

Torit Torit is a city of Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan. History On 18 August 1955, the Equatoria Corps mutinied at Torit, starting the First Sudanese Civil War. In 1964 the military government in Khartoum closed "all the Christian mission ...

diocese were ambushed at Ngarera on the road between Camp 15 and Chukudum. More than six men in military uniforms sprayed their vehicle with bullets before being scared away by an approaching minibus.

Civil war

The villagers suffered during the

Second Sudanese Civil War The Second Sudanese Civil War was a conflict from 1983 to 2005 between the central Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originate ...

(1983-2005), with considerable damage to infrastructure. In December 1998, the

Norwegian People's Aid Norwegian People's Aid ( no, Norsk Folkehjelp) was founded in 1939 to provide post-conflict reconstruction assistance and humanitarian relief during conflicts. NPA is now engaged in more than 33 countries in de-mining, humanitarian relief, promot ...

NGO, which runs the medical center in the town, reported that a Sudanese government Antonov aircraft dropped six bombs on the town, but did not cause any casualties. Relations with the

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 ...

(SPLA) were also strained, with soldiers and Didinga people being killed in clashes. In August 2002 the Chukudum Crisis Peace Conference was held to try to resolve issues between the SPLA and the Didinga community. Tensions had built up since 1985, when the

Dinka The Dinka people ( din, Jiɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ) are a Nilotes, Nilotic ethnic group native to South Sudan with a sizable diaspora population abroad. The Dinka mostly live along the Nile, from Jonglei to Renk, South Sudan, Renk, in the region of Bahr el Gh ...

-dominated SPLA forces moved into the area. They had come to a head in 1999 when the Didinga officer

Peter Lorot Peter Lorot is a former officer who served with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) during the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005). He broke away from the SPLA in 1999 with a Didinga force based on Chukudum, in Budi County of Eastern Equato ...

was passed over for promotion in favor of a

, assassinated his rival and took to the woods with his supporters. An attempt by the SPLA in June 2006 to disarm Lorot's militia was ignored, with the group threatening to start fighting again.

References

{{Eastern Equatoria Populated places in Eastern Equatoria