Greater Kapoeta is the name given to the eastern half of Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan

South Sudan

South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...

, at one time an administrative region with headquarters in the town of Kapoeta

Kapoeta

Kapoeta is a town in South Sudan. It is located in Kapoeta South County, in Eastern Equatoria State, in southeastern South Sudan.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the Singaita River...

.
Greater Kapoeta was divided between Kapoeta County and Budi County

Budi County

Budi County is an administrative area of Eastern Equatoria state in South Sudan, with headquarters in Chukudum.-Location:Budi county is located in the south of Eastern Equatoria state, bordered by Uganda to the south, Ikotos County to the south west, Lafon County to the north west, and Kapoeta to...

, named after the Buya and Didinga (BU-DI) people. Kapoeta County was later split into Kapoeta North

Kapoeta North County

Kapoeta North County is an administrative division of Eastern Equatoria state in South Sudan. The principal settlement is Riwoto and the largest ethnic group are the Toposa people. The county emblem is an elephant.-Government facilities:...

, South

Kapoeta South County

Kapoeta South County is an administrative region in Eastern Equatoria state of South Sudan, with headquarters in Kapoeta town.The county logo is a ram with horns and slightly bent tail.The county includes the Kapoeta Town, Machi and Namorunyang Payams....

 and East

Kapoeta East County

Kapoeta East County is an administrative region of Eastern Equatoria state in South Sudan, bordered by Kenya to the south, Ethiopia to the east and Jonglei state to the west. It is part of the Greater Kapoeta region of the state...

 counties.

People

The region is home to the three pastoralist communities of Buya, Didinga and Toposa people, who have a history of feuding and cattle raiding.
In an attempt to eliminate further conflict, a peace conference was held in September 2009 in the Lauro payam in Budi County. The meeting was organized by the Southern Sudan Peace Commission

Southern Sudan Peace Commission

The Southern Sudan Peace Commission was established in 2006.The purpose of the Peace Commission is promote peace among the people of South Sudan and to help consolidate the results of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in January 2005 between the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the...

, chaired by Brigadier General Louis Lobong Lojore. Demarcation of traditional boundaries between the communities was seen as an essential step, to be undertaken by the government.
The communities also agreed to revive joint peace centres such as Miji, Ngauro, Kamulach, Kaliba, Namorunyang

Namorunyang

Namorunyang is a village and Payam of Kapoeta South County in Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan.There has been a long history of conflict between the Toposa of Namorunyang and Bunio and the Didinga of Budi County....

, Nawoyapaka and Lochorkanyatom.

Economy

The region has poor communications. A herder in a location such as Mogos in the semi-arid Kapeota East may have to walk for three days to the nearest market in Kapoeta

Kapoeta

Kapoeta is a town in South Sudan. It is located in Kapoeta South County, in Eastern Equatoria State, in southeastern South Sudan.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the Singaita River...

 town to sell his cattle, with no guarantee of getting an acceptable price.
The Greater Kapoeta Cooperative Development Agency was set up in the late 2000s to assist with marketing.
In the run-up to the 2011 referendum on secession of South Sudan from Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

, staff had difficulty due to the long distances between centers, shortages of food and water, and problems getting people to register since they were busy with the harvest.

Following two years with poor rainfall, an April 2011 report by the Government of South Sudan stated that parts of Greater Kapoeta were in an acute food and livelihood crisis, with some risk of a humanitarian crisis if there was no improvement in the situation.
Insecurity in Greater Kapoeta had made it difficult for herders to access markets for essential supplies, and to sell livestock so they could acquire cereals.
Livestock were also suffering from outbreaks of disease, compounding the problem.