Wau residents blame newly appointed governor for negligence

February 19, 2016 (JUBA) – Residents in South Sudan’s newly created Wau state – curved from Western Bahr el Gahzal state in October last year – have accused their newly appointed governor, Elias Waya, of negligence and failure to protect members of the Fertit ethnic group from a mob of armed Dinka youth in the state.

“It is unacceptable that there is a government which is to protect the citizens from internal and external threats but not Wau residents who are being targeted by the youth being mobilised by some groups who are even not belonging to Wau state,” Halima Hussen, a resident of Wau town told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

“People do not sleep at night because even government [forces] are involved in looting people’s home at gunpoint,” she said.

She said the new governor has failed to protect the citizens of Wau despite his earlier promise that he would take security as a priority in his governorship, adding that houses have been burnt down to ashes and the governor could not do anything.

Multiple sources from Wau town told Sudan Tribune that all businesses and shops within the town, which is the state capital, are closed as people are told to remain indoors by the state government due to the clashes.

Meanwhile the secretary general of the opposition party of the United Democratic Salvation Front – Mainstream party in the state, Zacharia Juma Deng, also said the newly appointed governor, Waya, has not shown his leadership to protect the citizens.

“It is a great challenge to the head of state security man that insecurity intensified within the town without introducing strong measures against the perpetrators. No one could deny this; these are Dinka youth causing the insecurity but in presence of the government. Why is the government not using its powers to protect the innocent civilians,” he said.

“Elias should do something before the situation could run out of hands,” he said.

He said the Dinka armed youth, backed by elements of the South Sudanese army (SPLA) have targeted and killed members of the Fertit, Balanda ethnic groups, particularly in the areas of Bussere, Busalia, Jebel Keer and Bazia Jedid for the past few days.

Sudan Tribune has also confirmed that the SPLA command in Wau has arrested the state deputy governor, Major General Andrea Dominic, on Thursday, who is accused of allegedly having a link with the insecurity the state.

(ST)