Kapoeta

Kapoeta
Town
Peace agreement dancers in Kapoeta
Kapoeta Location in South Sudan
Coordinates: 04°46′30″N 33°35′24″E
Country	South Sudan
Region	Equatoria
State	Eastern Equatoria
County	Kapoeta South County
Town	19 August 2013
Elevation	2,221 ft (677 m)
Population  (2008 Estimate)
• Total	7,000
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)

Kapoeta is a town in South Sudan. It is located in Kapoeta South County, in Eastern Equatoria State,[1] in southeastern South Sudan.

Location

The town lies on the east bank of the Singaita River. The post at Kapoeta was established by Captain Knollys, who reached the river in January 1927.[2] This location lies approximately 275 kilometres (171 mi), by road, east of Juba, the capital and largest city of South Sudan.[3] The town sits at an elevation of 677 metres (2,221 ft) above sea level.[4]

History

Kapoeta was upgraded to Town status administered by a town clerk on August 19, 2013.[5]

Main article: Torit County

Transport

The main road from Lokichogio, Kenya to the capital city of Juba, South Sudan, runs through Kapoeta. The town is also served by Kapoeta Airport which, in 2011, was little more than a dirt strip.

Population

As of August 2008^[update], the population of Kapoeta was estimated at 7,000.

Culture

Kapoeta town sits in a land dominated by the Toposa ethnic group. The Didinga also live in the area, but they are farmers and tend to inhabit the fertile, wetter hills, whereas the cattle-centric Toposa people dominate the plains.

In popular culture

Kapoeta is a destination for the many South Sudanese who are chronicled in the nonfiction book Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan.

Points of interest

The following points of interest are found in or near Kapoeta:

• The offices of Kapoeta Town Council
• The headquarters of Kapoeta South County
• Kapoeta Airport – a civilian airport to the north of town
• Kapoeta Power Station – A 0.9MW high-speed diesel plant, commissioned in 2011[6]
• The Narus River – Seasonal River, prone to flooding[7]

See also

• Kapoeta Airport
• Eastern Equatoria
• Equatoria

References

1. Nakimangole, Peter Lokale (22 April 2016). "Additional Counties In Imatong And Namorunyang States Established". Gurtong. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
2. Northeast African Studies, Volume 3. African Studies Center, Michigan State University. 1981. p. 84.
3. Map Showing Kapoeta And Juba With Distance Marker
4. Elevation of 2,220 Feet Above Sea Level Archived 2012-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
5. Ijoo, Bosco (20 August 2013). "Eastern Equatoria to upgrade three towns to municipalities". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
6. Kapoeta Power Station Commissioned In 2011
7. "2002 Geological Survey of Kapoeta County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2011-07-12.