March 29th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the United Nations manned protection of civilians site in Juba on Friday demonstrated to demand the return of the country to its previous ten states.
Last week, the newly constituted Independent Boundary Commission (IBC) provided for in the revitalized peace agreement asked South Sudanese on how many states should the country have.
The commission requested South Sudanese to submit their opinions on the matter via an email which it said have to take place any time before April 4th.
Speaking to the Nyamilepedia on Friday, a IDP who identified himself as ‘Jackson’ said they demonstrated this morning peacefully to express their position on the number of states.
“This morning, we demonstrated peacefully inside the [UNMISS] camp to send our position to the IBC on the number of states,” Jackson told the Nyamilepedia.
“We demands that South Sudan should be returned to the previous ten states because the lack of the development and the looming tribal violence in the country over disputed boundaries prove beyond doubt that the extension of the number of states doesn’t work,” he added.
James Maykele Magueng, another IDP who participated in the demonstration this morning, to the Nyamilepedia that they want the country to return to ten states to avoid future border violence in the world’s youngest nation.
“We the IDPs of Juba pocs want the number of states to be 10 because they will not bring any border conflicts in the future,” he said.
South Sudan President, Salva Kiir Mayardiit and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar in September last year signed a revitalized version of a 2015 peace agreement that collapsed in July 2016.
The agreement meant to end the five-year old brutal conflict stipulated that two boundary bodies, the TBC[Technical Boundary Committee] and the IBC handle the issue of the states dispute and find solution before the formation of a unity government in May.
The TBC last week completed it’s work and handed over it’s findings to the regional body, the IGAD, which mediated the agreement.
