The Aweil Community in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Sunday has expressed their support for the recent order of President Salva Kiir breaking up the state into three parts and appointing Ronald Ruai Deng as 'governor' of the new rump state called 'Aweil State'.

Community spokesman Aru Madouk said that they have welcomed the order. “The Aweil Community is here to congratulate General Salva Kiir Mayardit for appointing 28 state governors. This is what we are waiting for a long time,” he explained.

“Our warm congratulations to the newly appointed Governor of Aweil State, we are ready to work and help him to run his government without difficulties. We wanted him to consider the rights of the citizens by providing health care services, quality education and many more services that the citizens are looking from the government.”

Ruai was the former Minister of Trade and Investment of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. Some politicians in the state have criticized his appointment saying that he was appointed on the recommendation of General Paul Malong Awan, the influential SPLA chief of staff and former governor who hails from the area.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal has been divided into Aweil State, Lol State, and Aweil East State, according to a decree by President Salva Kiir issued on Christmas Eve. The decree comes after supporters of Kiir in the national parliament sought to give him constitutional powers to appoint state governors and allow him to divide states, a move that failed to secure the required 2/3 majority to become law.