Our History

The Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Association (SRRA), the Humanitarian wing of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), under the leadership of Mr. Arthur Akuien Chol, the then SPLM Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Gen. Mario Muor Muor, the Secretary General of the SRRA and with technical advice from Mr. David Deng Athorbei, the then SRRA Technical Advisor, established the SRRA Database and Monitoring Unit with Mr. Luka Biong Deng as the director of the Unit. The core objective of the Unit was to compile humanitarian assistance statistics and to monitor the food security situation in the SPLM-controlled areas in Southern Sudan by establishing community-based early warning system. Based on its early warning system, the Unit published in 1997 a comprehensive food security assessment report that predicted the 1998 famine in Bahr el Ghazal region. This Report and the unfolding of the famine in 1998 contributed to the publication of one of the most cited discussion papers of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) entitled "Famine in the Sudan: Causes, Preparedness and Response. A Political, Social and Economic Analysis of the 1998 Bahr el Ghazal Famine".

The founding staff of the Unit were the following county database and monitoring officers: John C. Kulang (Yirol), Adet Mabil (Rumbek), Moses Mawien (Tonj), Gaetano Erib (Torit), William Deng (Awiel West), Thomas Nawi (Kapoeta), Mawien Deng (Abyei), Angelo Ugo (Tambura), Clement Yatta (Yei), Joseph Arkangelo (Yambio), Philip Dau (Bor North), Geoffrey Beton (Mundri), Clement Yope ((Kajo-Keji), Madio Kumliek (Pochalla), Kolbech Matoch (Pibor), Philip Osman (Maridi), John Friday (Maridi), John Friday (Mundri), Daniel Arop (Magwei),Thomas Nawi (Kapoeta), Bior Abendigo (Bor South), Achor Madesto (Wau), Tong Deng (Awiel East), James (Bentiu), Nyang Chol (Gogrial), Marial (Rumbek), Dut Jok (Tonj) Kon Manyiel (Twic), Sunday Manyang (Rumbek), Majak Malak (Rumbek) and Maker Ayuel as the Database Officer.

The Chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Dr. John Garang, issued in 2003 an order for the establishment of the New Sudan Center for Census, Statistics and Evaluation (NSCCSE) and appointed Dr. Luka Biong Deng Kuol as its Director. The Centre was established with a mandate to develop the necessary capacity to become the professional source and provider of the official statistics for the SPLM-controlled areas. This was necessitated by the growing need for basic statistics to inform the design of the SPLM national policies as well as preparing for the post-conflict transition in Sudan.

The Centre was structured into the following offices: chief administrator (John. C. Kulang), Senior Statistical Officer (Eliaba Yoana Damundu), Senior Census and Survey Officer (Adwok Chol Awur), Senior IT Officer (Maker Ayuel), Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (Philip Dau), Administration and Finance Officer (Acwil Odhyang Akoc), Mapping and Cartography Officer (Achor Madesto), Senior Communication and Logistics Officer (Ciengkue Mading), and the county statistical officers were organized under the following regional statistical officers, Bahr el Ghazal (Moses Mawien), Equatoria (Angelo Ugo), and Philip Dau (Upper Nile). Besides managing the food security early warning system, the NSSCCSE conducted a number of surveys in South Sudan including Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey and various reports such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Report for Southern Sudan and Southern Sudan Livelihood Zones and Profiles.

During the negotiations of the 2005 Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the NSCCSE was recognized as one of the few institutions of the SPLM in the CPA. However, its name was changed to the Southern Sudan Centre for Census, Statistics and Evaluation (SSCCSE). In particular, the SSCCSE as an institution was provided for in the CPA and the 2005 Sudan Interim National Constitution to jointly conduct the Sudan 5th Population Census with the Sudan Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The establishment of the SSCCSE was provided for in the 2005 Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan. On the basis of the provisions of the 2005 Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan, Mr. Isaiah Chol Aruai was appointed in 2006 by the President of the Government of Southern Sudan as the Chairman of the SSCCSE. The SSCCSE played a leading and critical role in the conduct of the 2008 Population Census at the national level, particularly in the design of census methodology and questionnaires, and with exclusively responsibility of conducting the population census in Southern Sudan. With the 2008 Population results, Southern Sudan was able for the first time in its history to establish its own statistical system with detailed basic statistics at all levels of government: Southern Sudan, states, counties, and Payams.

With the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the name of the SSCCSE was changed to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). In particular, Article 193 of the 2011 Transitional Constitution of South Sudan (TCSS) provides for the establishment of the National Bureau of Statistics as an independent statistics bureau with the mandate to build national statistical system and importantly to monitor and evaluate social impacts of public policies, projects and programs. To ensure its autonomy, the 2011 TCSS provides for the establishment of the Board of Directors as the highest policy-making body of the NBS and the appointment of the Director-General (Statistician General) as the chief executive officer of the NBS.