Juba

Juba is the capitol of the country of Southern Sudan; likewise, it is the state capitol of Central Equatoria. The country will become independent on July of 2011, and will be renamed South Sudan.

It was a former Turkish garrison that had a trading post in some vicinity. It was also a transportation hub during the Civil War with highways connecting to Uganda, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s currently a river port and the southern terminus traffic along the White Nile called Bahr al Jabal section.

Great sites in Juba include the Juba Bridge, Juba University, old Sudanese hotels, the settlements, and even cattle crossing the street can be a bit intriguing at times, as this is a very common Sudanese practice.

As part of the Southern portion of Sudan, Juba is rich in resources, particularly oil. The Mbororo tribe, nomadic herders of West African origin, often come to reside in the Southern part of Sudan, particularly Juba. Although the economic situation in Juba is affected by the war between north and south, it has an international airport so travel towards the city is quite easy. Travel fees there as well as phone calls are very cheap.

The people in Juba are very accommodating. They are cultured and intriguing. And even those in rural areas are pretty much aware of all of their social issues in the land. The best things to do in Juba asides buying stuff from markets and trade centers are trekking up the mountains and visiting really old infrastructures, or ruins. A tour on the Nile while riding fishing boats owned by Sudanese natives would definitely complete your Juba tour.