Tonj State (Tonj)
Tonj State was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region and it bordered Wau to the west, Gbudwe to the southwest, Gogrial to the northwest, Northern Liech to the northeast, Gok and Southern Liech to the east, and Western Lakes to the south and east.
On 2 October 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally established states. The decree established the new states largely along ethnic lines. A number of opposition parties and civil society groups challenged the constitutionality of the decree. Kiir later resolved to take it to parliament for approval as a constitutional amendment. In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states.
Tonj State comprises what was formerly Tonj North, Tonj East and Tonj South Counties. The area is so large that at one time the South Sudan government considered dividing it up into two states instead of having one Tonj State. Previously, the areas comprising Tonj State had been part of Warrap State from 2011 to 2015. The city of Tonj serves the State Capital. Mathiang Magoordit is its current governor, Tonj was one of Western Bahr Al Ghazaal districts during 1944. The state cabinet, consisting of seven ministers and three advisors, was approved by the state's members of parliament in March 2016.
On 2 October 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally established states. The decree established the new states largely along ethnic lines. A number of opposition parties and civil society groups challenged the constitutionality of the decree. Kiir later resolved to take it to parliament for approval as a constitutional amendment. In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states.
Tonj State comprises what was formerly Tonj North, Tonj East and Tonj South Counties. The area is so large that at one time the South Sudan government considered dividing it up into two states instead of having one Tonj State. Previously, the areas comprising Tonj State had been part of Warrap State from 2011 to 2015. The city of Tonj serves the State Capital. Mathiang Magoordit is its current governor, Tonj was one of Western Bahr Al Ghazaal districts during 1944. The state cabinet, consisting of seven ministers and three advisors, was approved by the state's members of parliament in March 2016.
Map - Tonj State (Tonj)
Map
Country - South_Sudan
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| Flag of South Sudan | |
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011, making it the most recent sovereign state or country with widespread recognition as of 2023. It includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd, formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal, meaning "Mountain River". Sudan was occupied by Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty and was governed as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium until Sudanese independence in 1956. Following the First Sudanese Civil War, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon broke out in 1983 and ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Later that year, southern autonomy was restored when an Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was formed. South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, following 98.83% support for independence in a January 2011 referendum. It has suffered ethnic violence and endured a civil war characterized by rampant human rights abuses, including various ethnic massacres and killings of journalists by various parties to the conflict from December 2013 until February 2020, when competing combat leaders Salva Kiir Mayardit and Riek Machar struck a unity deal and formed a coalition government, paving the way for refugees to return home.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSP | South Sudanese pound | £ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |