The newly appointed governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal state, Maj. Gen. Sherif Daniel Sherif, was welcomed to Wau on Wednesday with a large public reception at the city’s main stadium.
Sherif, who was appointed earlier this month by President Salva Kiir to replace Emmanuel Primo, is part of the SPLM-IO interim leadership, a faction that split from the main opposition party earlier this year.
The governor was accompanied by a high-level delegation including senior officials from SPLM, SPLM-IO, the National Transitional Legislative Assembly, the Council of States, and other political organizations. Notable members of the delegation included SPLM political affairs secretary Bol Makueng Yol, SPLM-IO interim secretary-general Agok Makur Kur, and National Minister of Health Sarah Cleto Rial.
In his address, Governor Sherif vowed to work closely with Deputy Governor Zackariah Joseph Garang of the SPLM to implement the 2018 revitalized peace agreement, improve security, and promote development.
“Let us open a new page that focuses on unity, development, and prosperity,” Sherif said, calling on citizens, civil society, and political groups to join hands in peacebuilding.
The event also highlighted appeals for political cooperation. SPLM’s Bol Makueng Yol praised Sherif and Garang as “twins” symbolizing unity, while Agok Makur Kur emphasized that the national unity government remains committed to implementing peace and ensuring stability across the country.
Sherif’s appointment comes amid ongoing political shifts within the SPLM-IO, following the detention of Riek Machar in March and the subsequent formation of an interim leadership faction under Stephen Par Kuol.
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