Paulino Matip Nhial

Paulino Matip Nhial
Died	22 August 2012
Allegiance	Anyanya (until 1972) Anyanya II (1975-1991) SPLA-Nasir (1991-1997) SSDF (1997-2006) SPLA (2006-2012)
Years of service	1970's - 2012
Battles/wars	First Sudanese Civil War Second Sudanese Civil War

Paulino Matip Nhial (died August 22, 2012), or Matiep Nhial, was a military leader and politician in South Sudan.

Paulino belonged to the Bul section of the Nuer people. He joined the Anyanya separatist force during the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972), but after the peace agreement of 1972 he did not join the Sudanese army. In 1975 he again became a rebel in Bilpam and moved to Ethiopia. The Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, and was to continue until 2005. Paulino became a member of Anyanya II, and in 1985 returned to Unity State (Western Upper Nile), armed and supported by the government. He was opposed to the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) which had attacked Ananya II in 1983. Fighting with Brigadier Omar al-Bashir, then an army officer but soon to lead a coup and become president of Sudan, early in 1989 he recaptured Mayom in Unity State from the SPLA. In 1991, Paulino joined Riek Machar’s faction.

Paulino's Bul Nuer territory around Mankien and Mayom in Unity state is close to both Kordofan and Bahr al-Ghazal and well situated for trade. He established an autonomous trading empire dealing in locally grown sorghum and in cattle looted from the Dinka people or purchased in the cattle market at Ler. After the Nasir faction led by Riek Machar split from the SPLA mainstream, Paulino nominally joined this faction but in practice retained his independence of action. His headquarters grew in importance as a centre for trade between the Arabs and Western Nuer, exchanging manufactured goods for cattle.

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