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Aweil is a town located in South Sudan. It is the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state and the administrative centre of Aweil Center county. It is also a service centre for the surrounding villages. The population of Aweil varies yearly with an influx of residents in the wet season. Displacement of residents, food insecurity and loss of services are results of the South Sudanese Civil War.
History
Thatched huts in Aweil, South Sudan
Aweil is an area which was affected by the slave trade in the 19th century and by civil war in the 20th century. It was the capital of Aweil State, a government area which existed between 2000 and 2020. Areas of conflict have involved Aweil's locality.
Geography
The town lies in the northwest of South Sudan on the A43. It is approximately 100 km south of the international border with the Republic of Sudan and the Abyei Region. Juba, the capital of South Sudan, is approximately 637 km to the South.
The nearest larger town is Wau, South Sudan. Villages near Aweil include Nyamand and Malweil. There are other villages nearby which do not have direct road access to Aweil. Ashana Game Reserve is approximately 30 km to the west.
The topography is flat and is prone to flooding, although the city itself lies on higher ground that the surrounding plains. The city lies close to the confluence of the Lol River with the Pongo River. The average elevation of the city of Aweil is about 425 metres (1,394 ft) above sea level.
Climate
Aweil is located in a Tropical savanna climate (classification Aw) with, usually, a dry winter. Summer can also be dry despite Aweil being in the tropics. The dry weather can develop to drought.
The district’s mean annual high temperature is 30.39ºC (86.7ºF) . The mean annual low temperature is 23.2°C (74.52°F). Aweil's average annual precipitation is 95.08 mm (3.74 in). The average number of rain days per year is 125.39. Aweil had flooding rain in 2019. In 2020, drought weather in July was followed by high rainfall in August which interrupted crop production.
Demographics
The population of the Aweil city fluctuates. During the dry season, the population is lower as the plain-dwellers return to the plains to tend to their gardens and harvest their crops. When the rains come and the plains flood, they return to the city, to escape the raging waters. In November 2008, Médecins Sans Frontières estimated the town's population at about 100,000, but there is no verified population figure.
The two main ethnic groups are Rek dinka (Malual) and Luo (Jur Chol). A majority of voters support the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. Arabic language is used in Aweil in some households and public places but not widely.
Economy
Aweil is a service town to farming villages. In the northern part of Aweil county, on flood plains, cattle and sorghum are farmed. In the southern part, ground nuts, sesame and again, sorghum are grown. There is also fishing. Subsistence farming in a difficult environment has led to widespread food insecurity.
The teak plantation is planted in southern Aweil town, to the west of a railway that runs to wau; , the scheme is founded in 2016, for production of electricity-poles.
The women market was built in Hai-Salaam (Block of Peace) which lies to north-east of Aweil, in 2017 by UNDP prior to economic development and stabilization programmed which aims to address the multi-dimensional needs of people in the region.
Madut Aluk's son Clement Ker, Real Madrid's Aweilian fan
Aweil is sporting town, it has many footballing clubs, it also has fans for Spanish major clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona. Aweil Soccer Field
Aweil woman football coach, Awein Atak Makak
Transport
Aweil tar-mac road that runs and circles Aweil from Aweil East border to Koum. The road was built in 2010 in the governing time of Paul Malong as governor of Aweil
Aweil has a railway station on the line to Wau built in the 1960s. After a period of disuse due to civil war damage, the line and the station were restored to use in 2010. The railway passes through Aweil South County to Wau. Aweil is served by Aweil Airport to Juba. In 2012 the local airline stopped flying. Aweil Airport
Education
St. Mary's Girls Secondary School - A secondary school for girls, owned and administered by the Aweil Dioceses of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan (ECS)
University of Northern Bahr el Ghazal is located in eastern Mathiang residential area, just next to western UNMISS Compound. University of Northern Bahr El-Ghazal
Green Star Academy International School's pupils in 2021 primary leaving certificate, at Salam Girls School as an examinational center
Teachers' Humiliation
On January 12th, 2024; Aweil teachers were seriously beaten, injured and arrested by the South Sudan National Police. 13 teachers were arrested by National Security, over 300 teachers were arrested, 23 were injured and 7 were critically injured by the police. This Aweil Teachers' Humiliation happened after the teachers asked and peacefully protested for their July doctored salaries.
South Sudan Hotel - A private hospitality establishment
Culture and religion
In April 2023, Northern Bahr El Ghazal’s State Ministry of Culture with support from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) held a peace celebration in Aweil. The theme of the festival was “Unity in diversity” reflecting Aweil (and South Sudan's) ethnic diversity. In August 2024, national culture day was celebrated at the Dr. John Garang Mausoleum with the theme, "Our Culture, Our Coexistence". The Aweil News Agency covered the event in depth with video footage at the agencie's facebook page.
Aziz S.A.; Abu-Manga A.M. (2021) The situation of Arabic language in Aweil town in South Sudan at the dawn of the secession. ResearchGate. doi 10.17051/ilkonline.2021.05.859.
Aerial photo of Aweil (2007).
AweilLocation in South Sudan
South Sudan
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Media related to Aweil at Wikimedia Commons
