Missing State.

South Sudan became independent in 2011, after decades of conflict against Sudan, its northern neighbour. An internal struggle for power is now opposing factions, in this Christian territory, which used to fight together against a common oppressor. At a more local scale, the conflict is affecting rival communities, through predation and the appropriation of cattle, which have a unique function in South Sudanese society.

The South-Sudanese government fails to control the territory. Self-defence militias are taking care of security, as cattle raiding paces daily life. The wealth of an individual is evaluated by the number of cows he owns, whereas the national currency faces an unprecedented inflation rate. Outside of villages, everyone is exposed to potential ambushes. This daily violence has a direct impact on the trade, cattle herding and hunting, which are the main resources of these pastoral societies. In this territory, the population depends on NGOs for medical care and education. They observe, helpless, clashes between communities and the failure of the state.

Violence has become a norm and is part of daily life. The population does not rely on this missing state to survive in this lawless zone.

Other photo series from Kenya (here).

Poktap, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

At 8 am, a dweller is walking through Poktap city centre. In this small town, mainly populated by the Dinka tribe, most of the males above15 y.o always carry an AK-47 on their back. A few months ago, Payuel, a village situated twenty kilometres away, was attacked by the Murle, a rival tribe. The death toll was massive, as 45 people were killed, including 5 NGO workers, and 53 children were kidnapped. Hundreds of cows were raided.

Weapon, Machin gun, arme, fusil, child soldier,South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Youth from the self-defense forces are coming back from patrol. They were falsely informed a rival tribe had ambushed some farmers in the outskirt of the town. Armed with Kalashnikovs and crucifix, they are constantly on a high level of alert, as they fear their village to be attacked by Murle, a rival tribe.

Croix, chretien, duk padiet, christian, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

A young woman is standing near to her stall at the Duk Padiet market. She is wearing a crucifix hear-rings. In South Sudan, a huge majority of the population is Christian.

Vache, cow, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

In the Poktap cattle camp, thousands of cows are parked here during the dry season. Cows can water themselves in one of the two ponds. Dozens of cattle herders are surveilling the area with weapons in case a rival tribe raided their cows.

Weapon, Machin gun, arme, fusil, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

The village of Patuet is situated in the northern part of the Jonglei state and is bordering the Uror county, which is a rebel area. Since a few months, there is a peace agreement between people from Patuet and rebels from Uror. However, the youth are still on their guard, in case this peace agreement was unilaterally broken by their neighbours.

South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

A child is drinking water near to a water well constructed by an NGO. Most of the infrastructures in the Jonglei region are built by NGO and international organizations.

Pajut, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

In Pajut, a village situated a few kilometres from the border with the rebel Uror county, the security situation is similar to Patuet. Here people are mostly Nuer. Nyaliech is a selling tea and also proposes shisha, which is very popular.

Patuet, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Near the border to the Uror rebel county, people are having a rest while passing by the village of Patuet. Men usually carry weapons with them, as they fear to get ambushed or to caught in a cross-fire.

Kids are looking for some honey in the hives hidden in this old digging machine. In the 70’s, a canal bypassing the « Sudd » wetland was supposed to go through Poktap, expecting to increase the water flow in Egypt. This monumental project, led by the Egyptians, stopped because of the conflict of the area.

At mid-day, when the heat of the sun is difficult to handle, men play a game under the tree.

Impala, Poktap, hunting, chasse, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

A relative of Marut is taking a rest after carrying the carcass of an Impala over a few kilometres. Behind him, a pond used by the villagers to wash, and to wash their clothes and dishes.

Nyalat, 22, is agonising at the door of the medical centre of the village of Pajut. She had complications related to her 26 weeks’ pregnancy. She left her home with her husband five days ago, looking for medical help. However, this medical centre cannot treat her because of the lack of medicines. Hopefully, the next day, she will benefit from a medical treatment from a local NGO which opened a medical centre 4 hours by car.

Poktap, hunting, chasse, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Marut, 15, comes back from the bush. He went there hunting with some relatives, older than him. They honoured him by letting him shooting an impala. To make it easier to carry, they dismembered it. They removed its skin and made a jacket out of it. By wearing it, Marut is showing to the rest of the village he was the one who killed the Impala.

A lady is washing her cooking ustensils in a pont next to the village of Poktap.

Cows, vaches, dung, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Thon is monitoring is cattle in Poktap so-called « cattle camp ». The camp is extremely secured as most of the cattle farmers store their cattle there. To avoid having the flies disturbing his cows, he burns cow-dungs which creates a very unique atmosphere. Thon pretends to be the owner of 500 cows, which worth a lot, as the unit price goes from 100 US$ to 500 US$ in South Sudan.

A relative of Marut is taking a rest after carrying the carcass of an Impala over a few kilometres. Behind him, a pond used by the villagers to wash, and to wash their clothes and dishes.

In the end of the afternoon, ladies are preparing diner in the new settlements of the village of Poktap. This new settlement host a population of displaced people.

View of the dried Jonglei canal. The village of Poktap was developed on both sides of the Jonglei canal.

The village of Poktap developed on both sides of the Jonglei canal. « Tukuls » (traditional South-Sudanese huts) were built under an abandoned crane. Children are playing on the dry canal, which will fill with water during the rainy season.

The day is just starting, and farmers are already burning cow dung to remove the flies. A christian cross is on the top of a tukuls (traditionnal house).

Two teenagers are late to the mass. They are going to church with their own plastic chairs as the church is missing.

On Sunday, an important part of the village goes to the evangelical church which gathers the biggest amount of believers in the village. A mother and her newborn are reaching the entrance of the church.

A villager from Poktap is about to reach his place of worship. He wears a grey suit and paid very special attention to the way he is dressed. Next to the red container, another believer is getting ready before penetrating in the church.

One of the passengers is ensuring the security of a truck. On remoted roads, ambushes happen frequently. Every trip bears a risk. Here, most of the male population fought during the struggle for independence, or they learned how to manipulate weapons at the army.

An old military truck is now used to transport goods. This truck is about to leave Poktap to the east part of South Sudan, passing by hostile territories. On the muddy off-tracks roads, trucks can easily get stuck and make the passengers and the goods it transports subject to ambushes.

Matongi, 26, is treated at Poktap Primary Health Care Center. The day before, he and his friend Lowal were ambushed by the Murle rival tribe, while they were hunting on the outskirt of their village. He received two bullets, but he and his friend managed to get back to their village. A local NGO will contact the Internationale Red Cross Comity regarding a possible sanitary evacuation by plane.

On a Sunday morning, a Lady has dressep up to go to the next village, probably to attend the church service.

Chess, echec, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Cattle herders are playing chess while drinking tea. In this remote village, playing chess is a popular activity.

Nyalat is being treated in one hospital run by the John Dau Foundation, a South-Sudanese & American NGO. This hospital the most comprehensive medical facility in the region providing blood transfusion, a full range of laboratory services, routine examination, and maternity services. Twic North counts about 78,000 people.

Wanglei, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Achok Amyan is 50 years old and just woke up from coma. She came from Wanglei, a village situated three hours walk from Kongor. Her relatives brought her to the hospital the day before after she got into a coma. Her family had rented a car to drive her to the hospital. She has malaria and bacterial meningitis. Behind her, her daughter Achok Arod is 29 years old is taking care of her mother.

Bor, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

Marabou stork are standing on the top of the mosque of Bor.

Koyom island, Nile river, nil, fleuve, USAID, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

The John Dau Foundation, an American South-Sudanese NGO, recently acquired a "floating clinic" and is providing medical services as well as food supplies to the displaced and malnourished population on the remoted area on the sudd wetland.

Koyom island, Nile river, nil, fleuve, South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire

A boat is going down the Nile River, toward Bor and Juba, loaded with people as well as dried fish.

Portrait of the captain of the floating clinic.

A donkey is eating from the trash outside a restaurant in Bor. Bor, is the main town in the Jonglei region, and is situated at 70 kilometres from Juba, the capital fo South-Sudan.

A child is bathing in the water surrounding the Koyom island.

A teenager is brushing his teeth with a branch in a steelement on the bank of the Nile River.

The Koyom island lack of infrastructures and the children population is heavily heat by malnutrition.

South Sudan, MISSING STATE, JONGLEI, Soudan du Sud, Photo reportage, photo documentary, documentaire, Koyom island, Nile river, nil, fleuve,

Women are preparing diner at the Koyom island.

The John Dau Foundation, an American & South-Sudanese NGO, recently acquired a "floating clinic" and is providing medical services as well as food supplies to the displaced and malnourished population on the remoted area on the sudd wetland.

A lady is cooking fish for her children. Her husband left the village to find some work. In Koyom island, the fish from the Nile river is an unlimited resource.

Some people from the Jonglei state sought refuge in some of the 47 islands of the "Sudd wetland", one of the biggest wetland in the world, situated on the Nile river. The closest port is twenty hours form this island and is lacking medical services.

Night picture at the Koyon island.

A phone is charging from a solar panel, even though there is no phone connection from the Koyon island.

A man is navigating on a pirogue on the Nile River.

Manut Majok is preparing diner, consisting in Sorhgum and fish, at the Koyom island.

Children are bathing in the water surrouding the Koyom island.

A women is cleaning sorghum.

Cattle herd on the shore of the Nile River.

A settlement on the shore of the Nile River.