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Malakal

Malakal, South Sudan

Malakal is the capital of Upper Nile State, South Sudan. It also serves as the headquarters of Malakal County, in which it is located.

During the Second Sudanese Civil War, the town was a garrison town of the Khartoum-based Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Following South Sudan's independence on 9 July 2011, the troops from the Republic of Sudan retreated from Malakal. Malakal was the site of the November 2006 Battle of Malakal.

Beginning in 2013, Malakal has been the site of numerous battles between government SPLA forces and the Nuer White Army, loosely commanded by the SPLM-IO which is headed by Riek Machar. The city has been overrun on various occasions by both sides.

A major road linking Malakal with the town of Kurmuk at the border with Ethiopia is under repairs and renovations to the asphalt surface. The road is expected to be ready for commissioning by May 2013. The city of Malakal is also served by Malakal International Airport, one of the two International airports in South Sudan, the other being Juba International Airport. Water traffic on the White Nile River can travel as far north as Khartoum in the Republic of Sudan, and as far south as Adok in Lakes State.

As of 2005, the population of Malakal was estimated at about 129,620. The 2008 Sudanese census, which was boycotted by the South Sudanese government, recorded a population of about 126,500. However, those results are disputed by the authorities in Juba. In 2010, it was estimated that the population of Malakal had grown to about 139,450

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