Communities in Aweil West county of Northern Bahr el Ghazal have petitioned President Salva Kiir against their annexation to "Lol State" with Raja county as proposed by a bill tabled before parliament this week.

According to the bill, which began as an order from Kiir before going to parliament, Northern Bahr el Ghazal would be split into three states: Aweil State, Aweil East State, and Lol State which would include Raja County.

Former Aweil county commissioner Santo Garang said the Chimel and Ajuet communities of Aweil West wrote to the office of the president requesting him to reconsider their annexation to Lol state.

“The communities are saying that they are within vicinity Aweil Town to be allowed to remain there instead of going to Raja, the new capital of LoL State. They want to remain in Aweil state," he said.

“The request of these communities has been accepted by the president and he told the representatives which delivered the petition to him to wait for the formation of the presidential border committee to be formed. We don’t know when it will be formed. The president assured the community leaders that their request will be considered and the committee will be formed soon,” said Garang.

Meanwhile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal state caretaker governor Akot Deng Akot warned Monday against these communities' rejection of the 28 state proposal.

"My dear citizens of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state please hear my voice. The president has divided ten states to twenty eight states. That is good, but let the combined communities welcome each other. I am saying this because some ethnic groups say they don’t want to be part of Lol state," he said at a rally in Aweil's Freedom Square.

Akot called on citizens to stand with Kiir to implement the decree, saying the creation of new states will create more job opportunities in government and private sectors.

Caretaker Governor Major General Akot Deng Akot speaks at a rally on Monday in support of the 28 states proposal