Several leaders from Shilluk tribe in South Sudan Upper Nile state have warned the government under the leadership of Salva Kiir Mayardit of going ahead with the implementation of the Establishment Order for the creation of 28 states in the country.

They stressed that they reject the division of South Sudan along ethnic lines and that the government should commit to the implementation of the peace agreement, which is based on only ten states.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Adwok Arop, a leader from Shilluk tribe in the Meganis area, said they are rejecting the division of South Sudan on tribal basis. He accused the government under the leadership of President Kiir of handing Shilluk lands to the Dinka tribe in Upper Nile.

“All Shilluk lands have been taken and given to Dinka... What is it the government of South Sudan wants? Are they for peace or they want to divide the country into small lands?” he said.

“All people have rights in South Sudan. No one has the right to divide the people as he wants. There is nothing called Eastern or Western Upper Nile states. There is only Upper Nile state,” Arop added.

Arop cautioned the government of going on with the division of the country, adding that they are for the ten states. He called on the government to reverse the order to create more state for the sake of the implementation of the peace agreement.

Separately, several Shilluk sons working in the civil service in Renk County said they did not receive their salary since January due to the Establishment Order. Ethnic discrimination in the service began shortly after Kiir's decree was issued, with many civilians fired on the basis of their ethnicity and told to go to another state. Even though the Office of the President later ordered the East Nile government not to terminate employees in this manner, the process has continued.

Bol Adwok, an employee in the ministry of cooperatives in Renk, said they did not get their salary since January, while other employees have received their salaries because they said employees from th Shilluk tribe belong to the new Western Nile state.

He called on the government to intervene so that they can receive their salaries.

Map: A map of some of the 28 states showing the predominant ethnic group in each state.