Maridi: History
Maridi given its geostrategic position is rich in history dating back to the pre-colonial era where the Baka tribe used it as a hub for settlement, agriculture production and hunting. The British colonial expedition also used it as a military, religious and anthropological hub. Anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard spent a significant time in Maridi studying the behavioral patterns of the Baka people. Mr. Pritchard collected many Baka cultural artifacts, some of which are kept to date in Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.
During the post-colonial era, the north Sudanese merchants and military occupied the area where they traded in coffee, fruits, timber and minerals. After almost 50 years of north Sudanese occupation and rule, the Sudan People Liberation Movement/Army, dislodged the north Sudanese military in March 1991. That marked a new era for Maridi and it subsequently became part of the newly independent South Sudan in July 2011.
In September 2015, an oil tanker exploded on a road about 20 km from Maridi, at Bahir Naam Payam, killing over 170 people. The truck had gone off the road and overturned. People were approaching the truck in order to siphon petrol from it when it exploded. Injured were taken to Maridi Civil Hospital and Olo Primary Health Clinic in Mambe Payam, according to Radio Tamazuj. In 2015, Maridi became a State with Col. Africano Mande as its first Governor. Maridi State thus became divided into seven Counties of Maridi, Ibba, Kozi, Landili, Mambe, Nabanga and Moruko. The first flag of Maridi State was hoisted in June 2016