Aweil East community members in Northern Bahr el Ghazal are divided over where the headquarters of the proposed Aweil East state will be based, if the presidential establishment order is approved and becomes the law.

President Salva Kiir proposed Aweil East County headquarters Wanyjok as the capital of the new state, but SPLA Chief of Staff Paul Malong is reported to favor Malualkon, another nearby town.

Agany Deng Kawac, a member of the national legislative assembly from Abiem East County said in an interview on Thursday that the headquarters of the new proposed state should not divide people because the proposed locations are so close. 

“The issue of the headquarters should actually not cause any friction. Malualkon and Wanyjok are the same. The distance between the two locations is like a walking distance between Juba town and Muniki. It is not very far. I think it is less than 4 kilometers. It is about 30 or 45 minutes walk,” said Agany.

Deng Majok Athian, an appointed member of parliament in the national legislative assembly from Wanjyok said the main issue to discuss should not be the headquarters of the new state but rather approval of the 28 states order itself.  

The president's proposal to create 28 states has not yet become law. Parliament in Juba is studying this issue whether to pass a constitutional amendment to create the 28 new states or not. 

Deng said, “This is too early to talk about where the headquarters should be based.  The first priority is to work together with community members in the country to secure the approval of the presidential order by the parliament so that the order becomes the law. If it is approved and there are resources to create these states, then the issue of where the headquarters should be established is simple to address. It should not be a major concern. So let us focus on major issue.”

He was responding to a question about where he thinks the headquarters of the proposed new state should be. 

But youth leaders from the three sections of Apuoth-Pingdong, Makuac Athian and Ajuongthii in a petition addressed to President Salva Kiir have protested efforts to change the capital from Wanyjok, saying it was a desire of few individuals acting under the influence of some politicians and military officers to change the headquarters to Malualkon, which happens to be the home of Paul Malong.

“We the youth of Apuoth-Pingdong, Makuach Athian and Ajuongthii in Abiem Centre reject and condemn in the strongest terms possible this uncalled for decision to hijack the state’s headquarters without consulting the communities where it was to be situated,” the group said in their petition. 

The petitioners added: "Wanyjok was known to you and many others to have been hosting the county headquarters since 1993 when it was administered by Civilian Military Administration (CMA)."

They pointed out that Kiir himself had already designated Wanyjok as the headquarters of the proposed new state, according to his 2 October 'decree', the Establishment Order, which announced creation of the new states. 

"Following your recent bold and wise decision to create more states as a way of reaching out to the communities for faster delivery of services, Aweil East State with its headquarters clearly marked out as Wanyjok happened to be one of those lucky ones of this decree."

File photo: Aweil East County Headquarters (Radio Tamazuj)