The competition for a vacant gubernatorial position in the newly created Wau State has reportedly caused a major tribal rift between tribes inhabiting the state, according to the incumbent governor of Western Bahr al Ghazal.
President Kiir issued a presidential order on 2 October dissolving the country’s ten constitutionally established states and their constitutions and replacing them with 28 new states.
According to the order, Western Bahr el Ghazal state would be split into two states: Wau state comprising Wau and Jur River counties, while Raja county would join Aweil to become Lol state.
Speaking at meeting on Tuesday in Wau town, Western Bahr al Ghazal governor Rizig Zachariah Hassan admitted that wrangling over the potential position of Wau state governor has emerged.
He explained that the tribal differences involved Luo, Balanda, and Dinka in Marialbai. The governor, who hails from Raja County, noted that the candidates whose names were handed over to President Salva Kiir were selected based on tribes.
“The paper presented by Marialbai mentioned that the Dinka have never been given the position of governor since the formation of the state [Western Bahr al Ghazal],” he said. “After the [2005] peace agreement, Mark Nyipuoch from Jur River came as a governor, afterward, Rizig Zachariah from Raja came, so Wau County didn’t get anything. I think this would cause division.”
“In the petition of Luo, they nominated Elias Waya, saying he is a strong man, he will be able run the state, so all these petitions didn’t talk about the national interest of the country, but rather they talked about community or tribe,” he added.
Rizig warned that the move could affect the unity and cohesion of the people of Wau in the near future.
“You as leaders, this will lead to disintegration, it will not unite people,” he said. “If the president fails to select your candidate who hails from your community, will you say the president has rejected us?”