Gok State

Gok
Gok manyin Akur
Gok Arol
State
Nickname: 
Gok Marik
Motto: 
In God We Trust
Location of Gok State within South Sudan
Location of Gok State within South Sudan
CountrySouth Sudan
CapitalCueibet
Number of Counties6
Government
 • GovernorMadang Majok
Population
 (2014 Estimate)
 • Total
174,460

Gok was a state in South Sudan that existed between 2 October 2015 and 22 February 2020. It was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region, and was formerly part of the Lakes State. Gok State bordered Tonj to the west and Western Lakes to the east. The state had a population of 117,755 in 2008 and an estimated population of 174,460 in 2014.

History

Before the creation of Gok State, the state was formerly part of Lakes State. On 2 October 2015, President Salva Kiir issued a decree establishing 28 states in place of the 10 constitutionally established states. The decree established the new states largely along ethnic lines. A number of opposition parties and civil society groups challenged the constitutionality of the decree. Kiir later resolved to take it to parliament for approval as a constitutional amendment. In November the South Sudanese parliament empowered President Kiir to create new states.

Madang Majok was appointed Governor on 24 December.

Geography

Gok State was located in the Bahr el Ghazal region, and was one of the smallest states. Gok State bordered Tonj State to the west and Western Lakes State to the east.

Administrative divisions

Until 2020, Gok State consisted of nine counties. Back in 2015, Gok originally consisted only of a single county (Cueibet County) before creating those additional counties. But as of 12 January 2019, four more new counties were established, to bring a total number of fourteen . Those counties were the following:

  • Cueibet (county seat: Cueibet)
  • Abiriu (county seat: Abiriu)
  • Duony (county seat: Duony)
  • Waat (county seat: Pagor)
  • Anyar Nguan (county seat: Tiaptiap)
  • Malou-Pech (county seat: Malou)
  • Citcok (County Seat Citcok)
  • Ngap (county Seat Ngap)

Towns and cities

The capital of the state was the town of Cueibet. The town was located in Cueibet County.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Governor of Gok state appoints state secretary-general". Radio Tamazuj. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Six Counties Established In Gok State". Radio Gurtong. 6 October 2016. Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Mutambo, Aggrey. "S. Sudan govt agrees to reduce states to 10 to maintain peace". The East African. Archived from the original on June 8, 2026. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Gok State". south-sudan.biz. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Cueibet (County, South Sudan)". citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "Kiir and Makuei want 28 states in South Sudan". Radio Tamazuj. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08.
  7. ↑ "Kiir pressured into taking decree to parliament for approval". Radio Tamazuj. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  8. ↑ "South Sudan's Kiir appoints governors of 28 new states". Sudan Tribune. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
  9. ↑ "South Sudan's President appoints 28 Governors, defies peace agreement". South Sudan News Agency. 24 December 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02.