Malakal is the capital of the Wilayah (state) of Upper Nile, Sudan. It is located on the banks of the White Nile, just north of its confluence with the Sobat River. The town was a garrison of the northern Khartoum-based government for much of the recent civil war, but is now part of the autonomous southern region. Dinka Ngok, Nuer, and Shilluk are the three largest ethnic groups resident in the town, though there are also significant numbers of other ethnic groups. The majority of current SPLA soldiers in the town come from Bahr El Ghazal, and not from the immediate locality.