Lainya is a county in Central Equatoria State,

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 ...

.Full list of Kiir's proposed new 28 states in S Sudan
Radio Tamazuj Emmanuel Khamis Richard is the current commissioner of Lainya County. It is bounded to the north-east by

Juba County Juba County is an administrative area in Central Equatoria state, South Sudan. It was the largest county in Central Equatoria and one of the largest in the entire region of Equatoria. Its county seat was Juba, the state capital of Central Equat ...

, to the south-east by Kajo-Keji County, to the south-west by

Morobo County Morobo County is a county in the Central Equatoria, South Sudan. Morobo County borders Uganda and Congo. The county is mainly occupied by Kakwa speaking people, Keliko and Lugbara. The people in Morobo are farmers doing local farming mostly f ...

, and to the west by Yei River County. It also shares tight borders with Mundri West (Western Equatoria State) to the north and Uganda to the south.

Administration and Logistics

Lainya (County Headquarters), Kenyi, Kupera, Mukaya, and Wuji are the payams in Lainya County. Roads: Lainya is situated on the main road that connects Juba to the northeast and Yei to the southwest. "Road warnings" are usually issued when road conditions deteriorate during the rainy season. A secondary road connects Lainya to Jambo town in Mundri East County.

Bomas of lainya county

* Wuji Boma * Dongoro Boma * Koyoki Boma * Logwili Boma

Peace and security

Lainya County has been affected by the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

between Sudanese People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA) and the National Congress Party (NCP) of the Sudanese government. Lainya had been bombed by planes and artillery of the Sudanese government against the SPLA/M rebels during the war. Followin
the outbreak of conflict in South Sudan in 2016The National Salvation Front (NAS)
a rebel faction led by Thomas Cirillo, has been causing havoc in the area, killing tens of people and displacing hundred others.

Background

The Lainya County is located in Central Equatoria State of the

Republic of South Sudan A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...

. Lainya Town the seat of county administration is located 101 km from Juba and 60 km from Yei County. Business people, tourists and all travelling vehicles from Yei to

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 population ...

and Juba to Yei stop for their breakfast in Lainya Town, which is the only area with high level of development on the road. The successive Commissioners of Lainya County (in chronological order of their time in office, Samuel Suba, Colonel Vincent Kujo Lobung, Tereka Sadaraka, Huda Mika Laila, Stephen Yatta an
Emmanuel Khamis Richard
were all appointed officials by the President of South Sudan on recommendation of the state governor.

Demographics

It is bordered by

Yei River County Yei River County is an administrative area in Central Equatoria, the area is a cradle land of the Kakwa tribe under the Bari ethnic speaking groups. But as time went on and development began it started hosting many people from different parts of ...

to the west,

to the south-west, Kajo-Keji County and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...

to the South,

to the east and north-east and Mundri County to the North. It is administratively divided into six sub-counties or Payams, namely; Kenyi, Kupera, Lainya, Mukaya and Wuji. Two inter-city/inter-county roads or highways pass through Lainya County and meet at Lainya Town, namely; Juba-Yei Road and Lainya-Jambo Road. Both roads have the potential of becoming important national highways/freeways.

History

Civil War

The Sudanese Army advanced in the south, reaching the southern borders with neighboring

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

and

. The campaign started in 1989 and ended in 1994. During the fight the situation worsened in the tribal south causing casualties among the Christian and animist minority. During the control of Lainya by Sudanese government thousands of

Improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mecha ...

s or IED where planted all around the roads, village paths and farmlands. All of those IEDs where collected after the signing of CPA in 2005. Some of the IEDs were unable to be removed and the only choice was to destroy by explosion. The war went on for more than 20 years, including the use of Russian-made combat helicopters and military cargo planes which were used as bombers to devastating effect on villages and tribal rebels alike. The war displaced an estimated four million people (of a total estimated population of thirty-two million); and killed an estimated two million people. It damaged Sudan's economy and led to food shortages, resulting in starvation and malnutrition. The lack of investment during this time, particularly in the south, meant a generation lost access to basic health services, education, and jobs. Lainya is one of the ruined county in Sudanese civic war. Its geographical location has been on the target of every war. Also the government was keen in Lainya for its resources particular teaks, which led to deafforestation of many plantations in the area of Loka during the war.

Development

Lainya county has been affected by the huge devastation of 21 years of civil war, which makes it hard to develop. Therefore, even three years after the end of the war, the people's lives are threatened by the innumerable neglected landmines and unexploded bombshells that remain hidden. Education in the region has been very hard, children are studying under trees which actually shows how much of the region has been destroyed. Many teak trees in Africa's largest

teak Teak (''Tectona grandis'') is a tropical hardwood tree species in the family Lamiaceae. It is a large, deciduous tree that occurs in mixed hardwood forests. ''Tectona grandis'' has small, fragrant white flowers arranged in dense clusters ( pan ...

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

(Loka West) near
Loka
round have been destroyed by

gun A gun is a ranged weapon designed to use a shooting tube (gun barrel) to launch projectiles. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns/cannons, spray guns for painting or pressure washing, p ...

s and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated ...

has been carried out illegally, due to the lack of control when the region was under SPLA/M rebels and Sudanese soldiers. It makes it hard for the local Chief to have control on his region. Earlier in 2007-09 the notorious

Lord Resistance Army The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), also known as the Lord's Resistance Movement, is a rebel group and heterodox Christian group which operates in northern Uganda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the C ...

known as LRA has extend their operation into the area causing thousands of civilians to flee their homes for safety. Most of the people in rural areas moved to Lainya central business building and starting building local shelters for the short time protection. Those

Internally displaced person An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who is forced to leave their home but who remains within their country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the legal definitions of a refugee. ...

IDP some are currently living in the area while others have returned to places.

As part of Yei River State

Lainya County became a part of

Yei River State Yei River State was a state in South Sudan that existed between the date of 2 October 2015 upto 22 February 2020. Location It was located in the Equatoria region and it bordered Maridi and Amadi to the north, Jubek to the northeast, and Imat ...

after the creation of new states was decreed by the President Salva Kiir. The county was divided into three counties in April 2016 with the two new counties Kupera and Wuji being carved from part of its area.

Lainya market

Lainya Market is located in the heart of Lainya Central Business building and embraces many businesses. Operating since 1998 perhaps since 1990 under Sudanese Government, the market provides a vibrant, diverse people from neighbouring counties. The market attracts a diverse range of customers from local shoppers visitors and tourists from Juba, Keji Keji, Morobu and Yei. Visitors come to the market for unusual items that cannot be found in conventional supermarkets and shopping centres across other counties in Central Equatoria.

Environment

Lainya has a healthy environment in comparison to other counties in South Sudan. Air quality is generally good; however woodsmoke from fireplaces is an issue in the winter months. Lainya waterways have historically been affected by heavy pollution from aerial bombs dropped by the army of the then Government of Sudan during the civil war of between the Sudan Government and rebels of the SPLM. There are no national parks in Lainya; Lainya is bordered by extensive bushland to the far west, east and south sensitive rock lands to the west. There are a number of nearby Mount Park including the Gumbiri Mt, Loka Mt, Biri peak, Kero, Bereka, Gwasere, Lang-koda, Tuli, Arabi, Mondoru'da, Kilingwara, Jolobong, Lukurubang, Kopido, Ka'buu, Kenyi and Baraka peak.

Transport

The main mode of transport in Lainya is the road network and the automobile. The Juba road connects Lainya to Yei River County and also to the regional capital city of South Sudan. Lainya is only served by extensive private buses, taxis; motorcycles, trucks and Lorries currently operated along the Juba--Yei road.

Education

Pupils learn under mango trees, because the region requires much development due to the devastation by the SPLA/M - South Sudan People's Liberation Army/ Movement and NCP. The picture shows some of the local classes for the children who are mostly struggling for their education on the countrysides of Lainya county. Most of the teachers use what they have learnt "off head" without using books, not because they don't want to, but because there are no books, in some other parts of Equatoria, teachers are relying on East Africa books particularly from

and

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

which may help in common areas like

science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...

, mathematics and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, but when coming into

Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

it is hard to use this is particularly due to the difference in the syllabi.

Economic activities

Subsistence agriculture as well as cattle rearing are some of the common and the main economic activities in the county, as is the case with most Sudanese counties. Crops grown include. * Millet *

Sweet potatoes The sweet potato or sweetpotato ('' Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young sho ...

* Beans *

Cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

cowpeas The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few input ...

Tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

es * Papaya * ground nut * Mangos *

Oranges An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...

Lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

s *

Onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

s * Simsim * Banana *

Maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...

Okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

* Sorghum *

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

References

External links

Land demanded for mines in lainya county
*https://iomsouthsudan.org/tracking/sites/default/publicfiles/documents/CES_Lainya_Atlas.pdf *https://docs.southsudanngoforum.org/sites/default/files/2016-07/livelihoodslainya_0.pdf {{Coord missing, Sudan Counties of South Sudan Central Equatoria