JUBA — South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit on Thursday directed the newly appointed governor of restive Warrap State, Amb. Bol Wek Agoth, to end communal violence and restore peace in the state.
Amb. Wek was appointed on Wednesday evening after Kiir relieved Lt. Gen. Magok Magok from the position following a surge in communal violence that left scores dead.
The violence that erupted between 28 and 29 May 2025 in Tonj East County left 62 people dead, including 20 women, and 36 others injured.
The motives behind the deadly violence between the Luacjang and Jalwau communities remain unknown.
Speaking after the new governor took the oath in Juba on Thursday, President Kiir called on citizens to welcome the governor with open arms and hearts.
The President’s office said in a statement issued on Thursday that “President Kiir urged the people of Tonj and the wider Warrap community to welcome the new governor with open hearts and minds and to work together with him in restoring peace.”
For his part, Governor Bol Wek Agoth pledged to prioritize peacebuilding, law enforcement, and the restoration of effective local governance.
He also urged “Warrap natives living in Juba to serve as ambassadors of peace for their conflict-ridden state.”
The president’s move represents another effort by his administration to establish new avenues for peace in Warrap, a region still struggling with the severe consequences of rampant violence and lawlessness.
Wek is a former chief of state protocol and acting chief administrator in the president’s office.
Warrap State, the home state of President Kiir, has faced recurring violence, including revenge killings and cattle raids, exacerbating instability.
Magok is the seventh governor of Warrap State in a series of short-lived governors of Warrap State.
His predecessor, Gen. Francis Abur, was fired in February 2025, following Kuol Muor Muor’s removal in October 2024.
The appointment of Gen. Akol Koor Kuc, a former intelligence chief, was also revoked before taking office.
Analysts warn that frequent leadership changes disrupt public services and hinder government strategies.
Kiir has often reshuffled officials, including governors and senior postholders, within months of their appointments.
