Ruweng State Brief History
By Deng Chol Mijak, Iowa, USA
January 9, 2016 (SSB) —- Ruweng State was born or established on December 24th, 2015 when President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir declared the formal operationalization of the 28 States after he appointed the various gubernatorial governors to start the effective implementation of the 18 states in the New Year of 2016. Ruweng people and Eastern Upper Nile Jieeng were respectively the political pioneers and Champs who were behind the political movement which led to the creation of the 28 States of South Sudan after they were politically infuriated and alienated by the creation of 21 States of Dr Riek Michar.
Nevertheless, Ruweng people were the first political pioneer who established the advocacy and plea for the secession of Ruweng Jieeng from the Unity State following the repetition of the 1991 carnage in 2013 and 2014 tribal massacre of Jieeng Ruweng in Tharjath, Bentiu, Agarak, and Panrieng. The civil population were infuriated with frenzy to demand an absolute separation from the predominant Nuer State of Liech, and pleaded with Salva Kiir to respond positively to their emotional demand for the secession from Unity State to avoid further extermination of tribal conflict inside Nuerland in case of future more political upheaval.
Ruweng were later joined by their other distant descendants of Padang Jieeng of Eastern Upper Nile, and then political advocacy movement later gained extensive supports from other Jieeng brothers of Bahr el Ghazal region who were often sympathetic and compassionate to the plight of the Padang Jieeng in Greater Upper Nile. The idea later developed the general interests of other various tribes, and all were granted states respectively as they desired, and that is how Ruweng State came to be among the 28 states today.
It is therefore Ruweng State who gave birth to the 28 States, and Kiir Miyardit was fair and just enough to cater it for every to be equal in the distribution of the States. In other word, Kiir took advantage of it to amend the proposed 21 States of Dr Riek Micar who had intentionally marginalized the Jieeng of Padang districts to keep them attached to Nuer States due to the oil reserves and fields in the areas of Ruweng and Eastern Upper Nile.
Both Ruweng and Eastern Upper Nile were independent districts from Nuerland during the colonial government of Sudan, and they had never been parts of Nuer districts as was falsely forged and claimed by Dr Riek Michar and Taban Deng Gai when they created 21 States on the basis of the colonial districts. Ruweng had transferred twice from Southern Kordofan of Sudan to Bahr el Ghazal region, and then was transferred administratively to Greater Upper Nile as an independent district of her own.
Ruweng District then later joined the union of Nuer districts under Unity State (formerly known as Western Upper Nile) at her own will. In 2015, Ruweng District had the constitutional rights to secede from the union of Nuer districts as was popularly demanded by their citizens, which had eventually made a history today.
Ruweng State is located in the Northern part of South Sudan at the coordinates of 9*0′ N 29*42’E. Ruweng State is bordering Nuba Mountain along the international borders of South Sudan and Sudan. Ruweng State is from the region of the Greater Upper Nile, South Sudan. There are three, five or more counties for Ruweng State (the official counties had not yet been declared formally for accurate number). The main Payams of Ruweng are Panthou (Heglig)/Aliiny, Panyang, Yida, Lake Jau, Biu, Nyieel, Manga, Gumriak, Wunkur, Jamjang, Panakuac, Awarpiny, Biemnom, Panrieng municipality, Lake No.
Panrieng is the administrative capital city for the Ruweng State. Its square kilometers of her entire territory covers roughly the 11,397 square kilometers of South sudan.
The total civil population of Ruweng State in accordance to the 5th Sudan Population and Housing Census Statistics Bureau of 2008 is approximately 99,455. During the Sudan 3rd Sudan Population Census, it was roughly believed to be around 143,900 population.
The census enumeration of the Ruweng civil population in 2008 was hindered and tempered due to heavy rain during the national census exercise, hence some areas of Ruweng payams were made inaccessible due to muddy roads and lack of proper transportation for the national census enumerators to be ferried to the field sites.
The total density of the population demographics was believed to be 16 according to the 2008 5th Sudan Population and Housing Census Statistics. Ruweng State is inhabited predominantly by one ethnic group of Jieeng de Ruweng (Greater Dinka of Ruweng).
Ruweng Jieeng is one of the descendants of Padang Jieeng who currently inhabits and predominates the Eastern Upper Nile State. Padang Jieeng is also known as Ngong da Adong (Dinka Ngok). Ruweng Jieeng is genetically comprised of three greater sections of ancestors who branched into three groups known as Jieeng de Panaruu (Panrieng and not Pariang, Parieng, Pariang as most misquoted it), Jieeng de Aloor (Biemnom not Abiemnom due to technical mispelling/mispronunciation), and Jieeng de Paweny de Star (Atar). They were set apart geographically due to history of migration by then.
The present Ruweng State is comprised of 18 sections of Panaruu and Aloor (Panaruu 12 sections plus Aloor 6 sections respectively to sum up 18 sections) minus or without the addition of Paweny in Eastern Upper Nile State. Ruweng State counties are yet to be formally operationalized whereas there are many payams and bomas to be determined by counties.
Economy of Ruweng is based on the arable farming and animal husbandry economic activity plus the local entrepreneurs in the State who had established small businesses from their own financial capitals and assets. Majority of the indigenous civil population are predominantly agro-pastoralists who engage in both rearing of the livestock, particularly cattle, sheep and goats as well as subsistence agriculture or cultivation is rampant across the rural areas.
The urban residents of Ruweng are believed to be the entrepreneurs practicing the economic activities of the modern era. Commercial agriculture and business innovation are yet to be introduced in Ruweng as it is now transitioning from traditional economy to the modern era of economic innovation & prosperity.
Ruweng State is one of the largest economic breadbaskets of South Sudan national revenue beside the Eastern Upper Nile State due to their luxury and richness in oil reserves and oil fields, which were discovered in 1970s by the Chevron Inc. of USA. Ruweng State and Eastern Upper Nile are the South Sudan economic oil lifeline (the hub of the bread basket of South Sudan economic lifelines, viability, prosperity, and dependency).
You can reach the author via his contact: Dengcholmijak@gmail.com
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