Key findings

Tong Akeen Ngor, the governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, has consolidated his grip on power by buying support, detaining members of the opposition, and ingratiating himself with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. Tensions have emerged between Tong Akeen and his patron, Vice-President Hussein Abdel Bagi.
The war in Sudan has transformed the political economy of Northern Bahr el Ghazal. Goods—including petrol destined for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—now come to the border from Juba, rather than Khartoum, while looted vehicles and other material flow south to militarized markets, which allow the state’s elite to profit from the devastation of the conflict.
Since November 2023, the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) has recruited more than 3,000 troops in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, in violation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS).
Paul Malong Awan, the former governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal and the leader of the South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A), is participating in talks in Nairobi, Kenya. He is apparently willing to join the transitional government, but there are significant voices in Juba that do not wish him to return.