A new ‘order’ by the South Sudanese president creating new states and new state boundaries largely separates the Nuer ethnic group from other ethnic groups, leaving most of them within ethnically homogeneous states.
President Salva Kiir read out the order on national television on Friday evening, dividing the country’s ten constitutionally established states into 28 new ones.
Although the decree does not refer specifically to ethnicities, it clearly groups together Nuer-inhabited areas into states of their own, without intermixing them with any of the other tribes, according to the new county and state lists.
Kiir’s decree would leave Dinka intermixed with other ethnic groups in some states – for example, the Maban would be governed by a majority Dinka Eastern Nile State, and the Fertit ethnic groups of Raja County would be governed by a new ‘Lol State’ that also would include Dinkas of Aweil North and West.
But the Nuer-inhabited areas would form exclusively Nuer state governments. For example, the previously intermixed Unity State would be divided into Northern and Southern Liech states, covering the parts of Unity State inhabited by Nuers. The Dinka that live within Unity State’s current boundaries – in Pariang and Abiemnhom counties – would be split off into a new ‘Ruweng State’.
Jonglei State, previously South Sudan’s largest state with a diverse population of Nuers, Dinkas, Murles, Anyuaks and others, would be reduced to only the Dinka-inhabited areas of Bor, Duk and Twic East. Jonglei’s Nuer-inhabited regions would be split into two other states, while the Pibor, Pochalla and Boma areas would form a fourth state.
Akobo, Uror and Nyirol counties, which correspond to the Lou Nuer territory, would be administered as a single “Eastern Bieh State.” Fangak and Ayod counties, which correspond to the Gawaar Nuer territory, would be administered as a single “Western Bieh State.”
Notably, Pigi County, which is an enclave of mostly Dinka lying between the Gawaar and Lou Nuer territories, and which has been part of Jonglei State, will be transferred to the administration of a new and relatively large state, Eastern Upper Nile.
Similarly, in what is currently Upper Nile State, the Nuer-inhabited east would be split off into a new “Latjor State,” consisting of Nasir, Ulang and Maiwut counties. None of the Shilluk or Dinka-inhabited areas would fall within the boundaries of any state also inhabited by Nuers.
South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei, who appeared on state television on Friday to explain the new decree, says that it will not need to be approved by the parliament to take effect.
“This is an order,” the minister said. “This is an administrative order issued by the president, and an administrative order is not subject to approval.”
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