au ▁state ▁was ▁formed , ▁its ▁territory ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁state ▁of ▁Western ▁B ahr ▁el ▁Gh az al . ▁On ▁ 2 ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁President ▁Sal va ▁Ki ir ▁issued ▁a ▁dec ree ▁establish ing ▁ 2 8 ▁states ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 ▁constitution ally ▁established ▁states . ▁The ▁dec ree ▁established ▁the ▁new ▁states ▁largely ▁along ▁eth nic ▁lines . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁opposition ▁parties ▁and ▁civil ▁society ▁groups ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁constitution ality ▁of ▁the ▁dec ree . ▁Ki ir ▁later ▁resolved ▁to ▁take ▁it ▁to ▁parliament ▁for ▁appro val ▁as ▁a ▁constitution al ▁am end ment . ▁In ▁November ▁the ▁South ▁Sud an ese ▁parliament ▁emp ower ed ▁President ▁Ki ir ▁to ▁create ▁new ▁states . ▁ ▁E lias ▁Way a ▁Ny ip u oc ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁governor ▁for ▁the ▁state ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁After ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁major ▁cl ash es ▁between ing ▁government ▁forces ▁and ▁F ert it ▁milit ias ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁however , ▁Way a ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Andrea ▁May ar ▁A chor ▁on ▁the ▁orders ▁of ▁President ▁Ki ir . ▁May ar ▁A cho ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Ang elo ▁T aban ▁B ia jo ▁as ▁governor . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁W au ▁State ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁B ahr ▁el ▁Gh az al ▁region ▁and ▁it