Twic East | |
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![]() Twic East County on a map of South Sudan, displayed in red | |
Country | South Sudan |
State | Jonglei |
Headquarters | Panyagor |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
Twic East County, or simply Twic East, is a county located in Jonglei State, South Sudan. Its headquarters were located at Panyagor.[1][note 1] In May 2016, Twic East County was divided into Twic North County, Kongor County, Twic Center County, and Twic South County.[2]
The area encompassed by the former county of Twic East was former colonial Twi Dinka district.[3]
Twic East County was home to the Twic community and it was nicknamed after a founding ancestor named Atwï or Atwïc Ariɛm [Pronounce: Twïny Ariɛm]. According to the Twic origin myth, their ancestors came from Patunduu' or Patundur, which lay to the west of Paliau, where Atwic and his brother, Yieu, lived. They had a falling out, and Atwic left his brother in Patunduu'. After Atwic's departure, Patundur suffered an eight-year drought, which only ended when Yiëu asked his brother to return. When Atwic returned so did the rains, earning him the chieftainship.[4][note 2]
Dr. John Garang, a leader of the SPLA and the first Vice President of the Republic of Sudan and president of Southern Sudan was born in Wangulei in Twic East County.[5]
Similar to other places in South Sudan, Twic East receives humanitarian aid due to droughts that stop agriculture.[6] Food supplies have been targeted by raiders, such as one raid on trucks from the World Food Programme, which resulted in a loss of seven metric tonnes of food.[7]
Twic East County was composed of five payams: Ajuong, Kongor, Lith, Nyuak, and Pakeer:
Twi Dinka was District during British times like other communities of Dinkas. [8]
According to the Fifth Population and Housing Census of Sudan, conducted in April 2008, Twic East County had a combined population of 85,349 people, composed of 44,039 male and 41,310 female residents.[9][note 3]