November 15, 2012 (JUBA) - The newly-appointed Commissioner of Wau County, Elia Kamilo Dimo, on Thursday welcomed his appointment and expressed his readiness to work with the Western Bahr el Ghazal State Governor, who has been battling to change the administrative centre of the county in recent months.

Dimo’s predecessor, John Arop Madut, resigned in October in protest against the relocation of the County headquarters from Wau town - the seat of the state government - to Bagari a much smaller town 12 miles to the southwest.

The former Commissioner resignation encouraged youth to stage protests condemnation the decision by the state council of ministers to move the headquarters of Wau County and Jur River County out of the state capital, installing a Mayor and Deputy to run Wau town. Jur River County will now be administered from Nyinakok, according the Governor’s order.

Commissioner Dimo made no reference to the conflict arising from the gubernatorial directives, emphasising the need for peace and unity.

Last week, Governor Rizik Zachariah Hassan held series of meeting with members Western Bahr el Ghazal State in Juba to brief about general public, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and community members to explain the situation.

Governor Hassan insists that the decision of his cabinet was in line with the slogan of the South Sudan’s governing Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), which advocates taking services closer to rural population; a motto coined by party’s late leader John Garang to discourage mass urbanisation.

Commissioner Dimo said his appointment was a "pleasure and indeed an honour", calling on youth leaders to embrace peace and build trust with state government.

"I will work to ensure that the trust [Governor Hassan] has in me is translated into practical actions by ensuring that I work together with our people to cultivate peace and unity in the state”, Dimo said in a statement on Thursday.

He said the war with north which lasted with the signing of the 2005 peace agreement was enough and that it is high time people embraced peace and reconciliation across the country, which gained independence 16 months ago.

“I think we have had enough war. If there is anything which the war has left us, it is the trauma. We are all living with trauma. No single family which has not lost an important member. So we need to console ourselves altogether. It is time we prayer together, ask God to guide us and accept the national call to reconcile and unite in order to move this country forward”, he said.

(ST)