Biem, South Sudan Explained

Biem
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:South Sudan
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in South Sudan
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Timezone:CAT
Utc Offset:+2
Coordinates:10°N 38°W

Biem is a village in the north of the Ruweng Administrative Area in South Sudan, approximately 70 km northeast of Bentiu. Biem is located north of the Bahr al -Arab River and is inhabited mainly by cattle.

The village is located in the area of oil deposits of Heglig. During the Second Sudanese Civil War, Biem was affected, not least because of its proximity to the border with the northern Sudan but because of its oil fields. This resulted in hunger among the local population and disease. Biem was under the control of the Sudan People's Liberation Army and became a haven for them.[1] In 1999, government forces destroyed the village in a campaign.[2]

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20071210131220/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0302/feature2/fulltext.html National Geographic
  2. https://www.hrw.org/de/node/12243/section/18 Displacement and Devastation in Block 1, 1999. Human Rights Watch, 24. November 2003