Central Equatoria is one of the ten (10) States of the Republic of South Sudan. Its previous name was Bahr el-Jebel named after the rocky stream of White Nile that flows through the State. It was renamed Central Equatoria State in the first Interim Legislative Assembly which was constituted as the result of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 1 April 2006.

This State hosts the Capital of the Republic of South Sudan which took origin by secession from the Sudan on 9 July 2011 following a Referendum result of nearly 99% of Yes votes. In January 2011, almost unexpectedly, the referendum on the self-determination of Southern Sudan took place in a peaceful and orderly manner, allowing the people of Southern Sudan to choose their status and consequently the future of the country through the exercise of their right to self-determination as recognized by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).