The governors of South Sudan's three Equatorian states say their call for federalism is a 'civic demand,' not an attempt to impose federalism on the country through a political agreement or decree.

Federalism, the distribution of powers between states and a central authority, has been a major source of division between Equatorian politicians and President Salva Kiir.

In a joint statement, Governors Clement Wani Konga of Central Equatoria, Louis Longong Lojore of Eastern Equatoria, and Western Equatoria's Joseph Bangasi Bakasoro, insisted that "neither the SPLM nor nor the other political parties and organistaions have the mandate to determine and impose federalism on South Sudanese people."

"Equatoria's constant call for federal system is a peaceful, open and civic demand driven by our socio economic and political situation in our country. It is therefore a constitutional right in a democratic society to propose the best governance system to serve the people," they said.

Their approach is in contrast to rebel leader Riek Machar's unilateral declaration of the formation of 21 federal states across the country at his faction's December conference in Pagak.

In a speech in Pagak, Machar said: "We have renamed our country the Federal Republic of South Sudan and immediately establish 21 states based on the former districts during the colonial period instead of ten states."

The Pagak conference was attended by mostly Nuer military figures from the Upper Nile region as well as a handful of leaders who defected from other parts of the country.

Separately, the three governors criticized the latest IGAD power sharing proposal for Kiir and Machar which would require Equatorian politician James Wani Igga to vacate his Vice President post for the rebel leader. The governors said the proposal "once again pushed [Equatoria] to the margins of the governance."

The three leaders insisted that the current national legislature should not be dissolved or reconstituted, adding that MPs who were dismissed due to conduct or procedural violations since the start of the war should be reinstated to their former posts "as a gesture of good will for peace and reconciliation."

Radio Tamazuj photo: Western Equatoria governor Joseph Bangasi Bakasoro speaks to press.