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S. Sudan parliament passes amendments allowing president to re-divide country

Xinhua, November 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

The South Sudanese parliament approved on Thursday constitutional amendments that allow President Salva Kiir Mayardit to re-map the country into 28 states instead of current 10.

Out of 323 lawmakers, 231 voted for the amendments, an official with the parliament, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua over the phone on Thursday.

South Sudan's Council of Ministers has earlier submitted proposals to the parliament to amend clauses in the constitution to allow President Kiir to establish new states and adjust their borders.

Thirty seven members of the parliament, representing the three equatoria states (Central Equatroria, East Equatoria and West Equatoria), did not attend the session of the parliament.

Last October, President Kiir issued a decision to re-divide the country into 28 states instead of the current 10.

However, the major South Sudan's rebel group, led by former vice-president Riek Machar, rejected Kiir's decision, saying it was a violation of the peace deal signed by South Sudan's warring parties last August.

South Sudan was plunged into violence in December 2013 when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy Machar.

The conflict soon turned into an all-out war, with the violence taking on an ethnic dimension.

The clashes have killed thousands of South Sudanese and forced around 1.9 million to flee their homes. Endit