President Salva Kiir has urged the people of Wau to remain calm after two senior army officers, Brig. Gen. Peter Par and director of logistics, Abraham Bol Chut Dhuol, were killed. Their murders sparked tension and spread conflict in the residential areas of Wau.
President Kiir called for the deployment of additional forces to provide an adequate protection to the civilians, along with ensuring the safety of properties in the area.
According to officials in the President’s Office, the south Sudanese leader has called on the residents of Wau to act in accordance with the laws of the country, by exercising self-restraint and not attack civilians.
Meanwhile, the Political Bureau of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), convened an emergency security meeting where the President urged the citizens of Wau to refrain from further violence and revenge.
The leaders called on those involved in causing mayhem in town to leave the matter to the government. The leadership was chaired by President Kiir in his capacity as the chairman of the SPLM, with majority members in parliament, cabinet, judiciary and in the army in areas under its control in the country.
Jemma Nunu Kuma, the acting Secretary General of the SPLM, said the Political Bureau condemned the events that took in Wau and rebel attacks on their positions around the town. Kuma pointed out that President urged the unity government to take urgent measures in restoring peace and stability in Wau and its surrounding areas.
The killing started on Monday morning after the fighting spread to Wau. Several eyewitnesses reported that government-aligned militiamen were targeting local residents based on their ethnicity in residential areas of Wau.
The violence started on Sunday after an ambush of government forces near Wau, where two senior army generals were killed. The latest reports from Wau indicated that more than 10 civilians were confirmed dead after a militia attack on Monday.
Heavy gunfire continued to be heard in Wau on Tuesday, as civilians deserted the town. The displaced civilians say that armed tribal militiamen from President Kiir’s ethnic Dinka backed by the government troops were attacking civilian settlements in the town, moving from house to house, killing whoever they believed was an opposition supporter.
