Kapoeta is a town in

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 ...

. It is located in

Kapoeta South County Kapoeta South County is an administrative region in Eastern Equatoria State. The county logo is a ram with horns and slightly bent tail. The county includes the Kapoeta Town, Machi and Namorunyang ''Payams''. During the Second Sudanese Civil War ...

, in

Eastern Equatoria State 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 ...

, in southeastern

Location

The town lies on the east bank of the

Singaita River The Singaita River (also Khawr Thingaita, Khor Thingaita, Rigl Thimgaita, Singeitta) is a river in Eastern Equatoria state of South Sudan that flows through the town of Kapoeta. The Nathilani River, which starts from Nathilan hills in Loudo and fl ...

. The post at Kapoeta was established by Captain Knollys, who reached the river in January 1927. This location lies approximately , by road, east of

Juba Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a populatio ...

, the capital of South Sudan, and the largest city in that country. The town sits at an elevation of above sea level.

History

Kapoeta was upgraded to Town status administered by a town clerk on August 19, 2013.

Transport

The main road from

Lokichogio Lokichogio (also ''Lokichoggio'' or ''Lokichokio''), is a town in the Turkana District in northwest Kenya (). It is often called Loki for short. The town lies on the A1 road, and is served by the Lokichogio Airport. It is about 30 kilometers from ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

to the capital city of

Juba, South Sudan Juba () is the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The city is situated on the White Nile and also serves as the capital of the Central Equatoria State. It is the world's newest capital city to be elevated as such, and had a populatio ...

, runs through Kapoeta. The town is also served by

Kapoeta Airport Kapoeta Airport is an airport serving Kapoeta in South Sudan. Location Kapoeta Airport is located in '' Kapoeta South County'' in Namorunyang State, in the town of Kapoeta, near the International borders with Kenya and Uganda. The airport is loc ...

which, in 2011, was little more than a dirt strip.

Population

, the population of Kapoeta was estimated at about 7,000.

Culture

Kapoeta town sits in a land dominated by the Toposa ethnic group. 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 ...

also live in the area, but they are farmers and tend to inhabit the fertile, wetter hills, whereas the cattle-centric Toposa people dominate the plains.

In Popular Culture

Kapoeta is a destination for the many South Sudanese who are chronicled in the nonfiction book "Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan."

Points of interest

The following points of interest are found in or near Kapoeta: * The offices of Kapoeta Town Council * The headquarters of ''Kapoeta South County'' *

- a civilian airport to the north of town * Kapoeta Power Station - A 0.9MW high-speed diesel plant, commissioned in 2011 * The Narus River - Seasonal river, prone to flooding

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Eastern Equatoria Equatoria