Wau IDPs rebuff government calls to return home

June 04, 2016 (JUBA)– Thousands of people internally displaced by the recent violence in South Sudan’s town of Wau and now live in United Nations protection of civilians sites as well as churches have rejected calls by the state government for them to return to home.

The displaced told members of a fact-finding committee sent from the capital, Juba that they would not leave the protection of civilian sites, having allegedly lost trust in the government organised forces.

“We are not going back homes though the government is asking us to leave these seats, what is the grantee of our protections if we return homes as these forces government is talking about to protect us were those killing and looting our us,” Taban Ngori, a displaced citizen, told the facts finding at Wau Catholic Diocese on Monday.

“We have lost everything belonging to us and many of us have lost their families members, we did not hard that there some rebels killed though the government forces carried out mass killing on the civil population areas in Wau,” he added.

Several civilians, Taban said, were forced by the violence into neighbouring Sudan

“They [civilians] have totally lost trust in government. Those who remained here are seeking for international intervention. We need accountability on those responsible for the massive killings in Wau,” he stressed.

The eight-member committee was formed by President Salva Kiir to probe what actually caused the violence which broke out in Wau town on 25 June. The national health minister, Riak Gai Kok, heads this fact-finding body.

Thousands of people have sought refuge at the UN camp, churches and at the South Sudan Red Cross compound seeking protection.

(ST)