Bentiu

Bentiu, also spelled Bantiu, is a city in South Sudan and capital of the state of Unity State. Location Bentiu is located in Rubkotna County, Unity State, in northern South Sudan, near the international border with the Republic of the Sudan. It lies approximately 654 kilometers (406 miles), by road, northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in the country. Bentiu sits on the southern bank of the Bahr el Ghazal River that separates it from the town of Rubkona, which sits on the river's northern bank. The two towns are joined by the El Salaam Bridge that spans the river. This bridge, along with a market, was bombed and partially damaged by North Sudanese MiG-29 bomber airplanes on April 23, 2012, during the Heglig Crisis. At least three people were killed in the raid. Population , the population of Bentiu including entire Guit County Payams was estimated at about 100,230. Overview The town was the administrative, political and commercial center of Unity state before its reorganisation in 2015 into the three new states of Ruweng, Southern Liech, and Northern Liech, and since the state's re-establishment. The state governor maintains the headquarters of the state in the town, however the county headquarters for Rubkona County are situated in the town of Rubkona, across the river.