It is located in Akobo County, Jonglei State, in the northeastern part of South Sudan, near the International border with Ethiopia. Its location lies approximately 450 kilometers (280 mi), by road, northeast of Juba, the capital and largest city in the country
Anywaa or Anyuak Kingdom Sub Tribes
Anywaa country is divided into eleven (11) sub-tribes as follows:-
Ciro, Adongo, part of Ternam; Ojwaa and part of Nyikaani, are Sudanese Anywae (Anyuak), whereas, Openo, Lul, Joor, part of Thim, Rwanye, Piny-Udo and part of Nyikaani are Ethiopian Anywaae. Ciro Anywae Ciro Anywaa Sub Tribe, are inhabitants of Akobo Land. Dikony, Agwei, and Dikon rivers give water to Akobo land which is the County of today.
Akobo District was the first District to be recognized by the British Colonial rulers as the seat to administer Ciro Anyuak affairs and to oversee the Lou Nuer at Waat beyond Dwa-Achan. Akobo was established as a post in 1911 at the site known today as Akobo Gedim at the confluence of Dikony [Pibor] and River Akobo.
Due to floods, the town was moved to Agii on the other side of Dikony west of old Akobo in 1912. The Anywaa then occupied both sides of the Dikony from Wanga-Ading to Burmath just at the confluence with Agwei. From there the Dikony becomes Keng flowing from the Murle country.
The British did not make Akobo a strong post for their administrative convenience only but mainly to protect the Nuer from being slaughtered by the Anyuak. It was not possible to stop the raids while the British stayed at Malakal. The Anywaa of Ciro, including the Adongo people under King Akway Wa Cham, raided the Nuer for cattle, women, and children which they brought back from Padoi and the country beyond near the Zaraf River.
As the British permanently settled at Akobo, borders were demarcated between Lou and Akobo at Dwa-Achan and Wanga-Ading; and between Murle and Anywaa at Biem. These borders are known as the 1956 borders recognized by the Sudan government after the British left.
Thus the Anywaa were administered with an iron fist for taxation and free labor to clear the roads and scrutiny to protect the Nuer. The Arabs adopted the same policy of hard scrutiny of the Anywaa until the CPA was signed. At this time it is the Nuer showing the iron fist.
Akobo was a place of joyful life until the early 1960s. From this timeline on, the Anywaa entered a gloomy period to the present day. This timeline also marks the influx of the Lou Nuer migration and accelerated aggression.
As of July 2011, the population of Akobo, the town, is approximately 1,000.
