Parjok

Parjok (also Pajok, Parajok) is a community in Eastern Equatoria state of South Sudan. It is in the southern part of Magwi County, 39 kilometres (24 mi) south of Magwi, near the border with Uganda.^[1]

The main ethnic group are the Acholi people, who live on both sides of the border between South Sudan and Uganda in this region, divided by an arbitrary boundary defined by the Colonial British in 1926. The soil is volcanic in origin and rich.^[2] The town has a small gazetted forest reserve of 23 hectares (57 acres).^[3]

During the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005), the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) captured Parjok from the government. The SPLA was weakened by internal dissension, and Parjok was among the towns recaptured by the government between 1991 and 1994. However, by December 1995 the SPLA had regained the town.^[4] In 1995 Sudan and Uganda broke off diplomatic relations. The next year the Sudanese Government accused Uganda of attacking the areas of Parjok and Teit.^[5]

The civil war ended in January 2005 and reconstruction began. The Lord's Resistance Army continued activity in the area, attacking the impoverished refugees in camps in north Uganda and South Sudan, including Parjok. A report of September 2005 said that refugees were starting to return, with 1,000 out of a population of 5,000 in Parjot targeted for assistance. Work was planned to reconstruct a primary health care unit in the town.^[6] In November 2008 UNICEF, in partnership with MEDAIR, handed over an emergency water treatment system to Parjok. The system was built in response to a cholera epidemic, and was capable of serving 2,000 people.^[7]

A 2010 report noted that lack of adequate roads is a serious problem. The people of Parjok got a bumper harvest of sesame in 2008 but could not sell it due to the cost of transport. As a result, they did not grow much sesame in the following year.^[8]

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