The Akobo Anyuak community in Akobo state, one of South Sudan’s newly created states, has written a petition to President Salva Kiir asking him to annex their area to Pochalla to become Gilo state.

The petition dated 19 August and signed by more than 80 Akobo Anyuak politicians and intellectuals stated that the Akobo State created by President Kiir was not based on the 1956 borders.

“It was created mainly to please the Lou Nuer [Mor] in the government and SPLA/M-IO,” wrote the Anyuak leaders.

They added that the Akobo Anyuaks were not consulted when the state was created by President Kiir. “After wide consultations among the Akobo Anyuak people around the world, we the Akobo Anyuak condemn Nuer domination in our land and declare separation from Diror, Walgak and Kuikueny Districts, the areas which were illegally annexed to Akobo in 1970s, and brought Nuer to be part of Akobo,” partly reads the petition.

They called upon President Kiir to declare Akobo with its boundaries of 1956 to be part of Gilo State, a proposed state combining Akobo and Pochalla.

The group claimed that since the 2005 peace agreement was signed, the Akobo Anyuak had voiced concerns over persecution by Lou Nuer community in Akobo.

The petition accused the government of turning a deaf ear to demands of the Anyuak of Akobo. The Anyuak community also complained of lack of representation at the national level.