A team from the regional body – IGAD has asked the South Sudan Council of States to avail maps and information regarding the state boundaries.

This comes weeks after the peace parties appealed to the regional body to help expedite identification of tribal borders and the number of states.

“In order to do our diligently, we need your support in helping us to identify the paramount chiefs not only as of now, but right from the [19] 50s” Dr. Edith Namutebi, the head of the committee told Journalists on Thursday.

Dr Namutebi said the maps required include those of 1956, and 2011 when South Sudan gained independence, as well as of 2015 and 2017 after the creation of more states.

“We need the official administrative map of South Sudan as of January 1^st 1956.”

“We also would appreciate to get the map that was done in 2015 that led to the establishment of 28 states, and the one that was done in 2017,” she requested.

According to Dr Namutebi, they will also get down to the local communities to inquire more information on their border areas.

According to the peace agreement, the IBC should have completed its tasks of  identifying tribal boundaries within 3 months of the peace implementation – but the period expired in January this year.

“We are happy to hear from them what is expected of the Council of States to contribute to the work of the TBC,” Athor Akuien the acting speaker of the council of state said.

We are ready to go down with them to help them, give them the materials, and the information they need from the population.

The IGAD team of experts arrived in Juba on Thursday.