Kampala- Ugandans living and working in South Sudan in the northwestern town of Wau yesterday reported as being in fresh “state of panic” following last Friday’s heavy fighting government forces and armed groups.
The few Ugandans that spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of rebuke by South Sudanese authorities, said they were part of the civilians who had fled the fighting into the nearby United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base.
They said the situation was yet to “normalise” and several people had died in the middle of fighting as government forces tried to take back control of the town.
Fighting broke out in the area, located about 650km northwest of the capital Juba, after a group of armed youth gang blocked the country’s Agriculture minister of Gbudue state, Grace Datiro, from crossing to the neighbouring province, according to the online news Sudantribune.
It remained unclear on who sparked the fighting but the website reported that scores died on spot and others injured.
Wau Town is located to the west of the arable Bahr el Ghazal State.
The UN Secretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, at the weekend condemned the latest fighting, and called for talks between the warring factions.
The secretary-general “urges all parties to agree to dialogue to resolve their political disputes,” a statement issued by his spokesperson read in part. “He regrets the reported loss of lives.”
The UNMISS in a statement said it would continue providing protection to approximately 10,000 civilians in Wau, following the outbreak of violence.
“At this time, UNMISS military forces have created a security cordon around an area adjacent to the UN base and peacekeepers are conducting active patrolling to ensure the safety of the displaced civilians within this area.”
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