Shooting erupted in Wau town in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal State this morning as police forces protested a delay in the payment of their salaries.

Police staged a strike in Wau and blocked main roads and gunfire later rocked the town, according to eyewitnesses.

An eyewitness told Radio Tamazuj that he saw about 30 policemen closing the main gate of the police headquarters in the town. The protesters locked up several police officers at their offices and then fired in the air, while other protesters blocked the road leading to the court.  

The shooting was still continuing until this afternoon at Hai Mozafin where there are government institutions, according to the same source.

He further said the protesters also blocked the main road from the unified police building to traffic police headquarters as well as the road starting from the state legislative assembly to the court and Wau market roundabout.

Meanwhile, another source said he has just heard sporadic shooting near Wau Church. There were no losses of life so far. But traders at Wau market and Suk Jou closed their shops.

Radio Tamazuj could not reach local authorities in the area to comment on the matter.