One person was injured and a goat shot dead when a Land Cruiser pick-up carrying passengers and livestock came under a gunfire attack along the Wau – Warrap road on Tuesday evening.
The driver of the vehicle recounted how he managed to serve following the attack at Wun-Ngot in Jur River County, as they approached Manyang Boma.
The driver, who identified himself as Michael Bak Jok, told Radio Tamazuj that he was attacked by three people in civilian clothes.
“I was coming from Luany-Akeer, from Manyang to Achong-Chong but when I reached Wun-Ngot, three people shot at my vehicle. They injured one person and killed one goat,” Jok recounted.
Jok said he drove on three wheels until he reached Achong-Chong where he reported the incident to the military personnel.
Wau Town’s Apuk Giir students’ chairperson Bak Chan condemned the attack and called on the Western Bahr el-Ghazal State authorities to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
Chan said the incident was not the first of its kind, recalling that last month, and a similar incident happened in Dier-Akok in which the Apuk Giir students were attacked by suspected youth from Marial-Wau, leaving several of them injured.
“This is the second attack after the incident that happened in Dier-Akok last month when the students of Apuk were attacked by suspected Marial-Wau youth,” said Chan.
“I condemn what they have done because this is the second time and no one from their side came out to condemn the act. We are for peace since an agreement was signed in July this year,” he said.
Chan said he had appealed to the Apuk youth residing in Wau Town to remain calm.
“I told my team here in Wau to be vigilant because the government of Western Bahr el-Ghazal is aware of what happened before and today,” he added.
Chan pointed a finger at the Western Bahr el-Ghazal State authorities for negligence and the continued failure to take serious security measures.
“When the incident happens and was reported to them, they did not take any serious measures to bring the culprits to book,” he said.
“My message to them is to embrace peace and I am calling upon the two state governments to bring the suspects to book regardless of their backgrounds,” he added.
Both the state police and the Jur River County Commissioner could not be reached for comment.