Bentiu

Bentiu بانتيو
Part of the UN's refugee camp in Bentiu.
Bentiu Location in South Sudan
Coordinates: 9°15′36″N 29°48′00″E / 9.26000°N 29.80000°E / 9.26000; 29.80000Coordinates: 9°15′36″N 29°48′00″E / 9.26000°N 29.80000°E / 9.26000; 29.80000
Country	South Sudan
State	Northern Liech
County	Rubkona County
Elevation	347 m (1,138 ft)
Population (2010 est.)
• Total	6,508 (plus 50,000 in the surrounding refugee/IDP camp)

Bentiu, also spelled Bantiu, is a town in South Sudan.

Location

Bentiu is located in Rubkona County, Northern Liech,^[1] in northern South Sudan, near the International border with the Republic of Sudan. This location lies approximately 654 kilometres (406 mi), by road, northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in the country.^[2] Bentiu sits on the southern bank of the Bahr el Ghazal River, that separates it from the town of Rubkona, which sits on the river's northern bank. The two towns are joined by the El Salaam Bridge that spans the river.^[3] This bridge was bombed and partially damaged by Sudanese MiG 29 bomber airplanes on April 23, 2012, along with a market in Bentiu.^[4]

Population

As of 2006, the population of Bentiu was estimated at about 9,700.^[5] As of December 2014, between 40,000 and 50,000 people lived in Bentiu's refugee/IDP camp.^[6]

Overview

The town is the administrative, political and commercial center of Unity State in South Sudan. The State Governor maintains the headquarters of the state in the town. However the County Headquarters for Rubkona County, in which Bentiu is located are situated in the town of Rubkona, across the river.

During the South Sudanese conflict that began in December 2013, the national government lost control of the town to a commander loyal to Riek Machar, although Machar denied this.^[7][8] Violence in the area continued, and on 17 January 2014 a UN official was quoted as saying that the town “simply did not exist anymore”, and that “it was completely burnt down”.^[9] In April 2014, hundreds of Bentiu civilians were massacred by the “Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition Army” led by former vice president Riek Machar.^[10]

Economy

• Unity State is the location of some of the largest oil deposits in South Sudan. The Heglig Oilfield to the north of Bentiu, straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan.^[11] The Greater Nile Oil Pipeline, begins in Unity Oil Field in Unity State and extends north into the Republic of Sudan, to the refinery at Port Sudan, on the Red Sea.^[12] Another oilfield sits near the township of Tarjath, about 60 km (35 miles) to the south of the town. A lot of petroleum related activity goes on in and around Bentiu.
• Kenya Commercial Bank (South Sudan) maintains a branch in Bentiu

Infrastructure

A typical street in Bentiu

After the destruction during the Second Sudanese Civil War, infrastructure in and around Bentiu is now being rebuilt. The projects that have been rehabilitated, constructed or restored include the following:

1. Bentiu Airport- located just north Rubkona, opposite Bentiu on the Bahr el Ghazal River.
2. Bentiu Civil Hospital - Donated and constructed by the China National Petroleum Corporation
3. Bahr al-Ghazal River - Redredged to allow barges free passage
4. Rubkona New Market - Largest source of fresh produce for both towns

Education

Bentiu is also the location of the planned Western Upper Nile University, a promise by the state's education officials to speed up the higher education system in Unity State. Bentiu has three primary schools and two secondary schools. These schools were teaching in Arabic before 2005 and as of 2011 English is being taught.^[13]

See also

• Rubkona
• Rubkona County
• Bentiu Airport
• Unity State
• Greater Upper Nile
• Greater Nile Oil Pipeline
• Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company
• 2014 Bentiu massacre

References

External links

• Location of Bentiu At Google Maps
• Bentiu's Profile At Travelngluck.com
• Sudan, Oil & Human Rights