The governor of the proposed Wau State has sought talks with dissident youth who have recently taken up arms in the area.
In June, Wau was the site of fighting between government and SPLM-IO forces, and thousands have taken shelter next to the UNMISS base. Analysts have consistently pointed to the area as one of the most unstable in South Sudan.
Andrea Mayar said in an interview on Friday that he sought the approval during a meeting with President Kiir. Mayar said that a high level committee recommended improving relations with dissident youth in the area.
“We would like to pursue this initiative and I have come here to seek the approval of the president and the leadership”, he said Mayar.
On a recent visit to Wau, the top UN humanitarian said that the city is emblematic of the fate that has befallen South Sudan. When he visited the country in July 2015, Wau was a beacon “of hope and prospects for development,” he said, but today is “mired in conflict”.
“Women in Wau told me how they were attacked and displaced multiple times,” O’Brien said.
Mayar gave a different view of Wau.
“People are returning to their homes and schools have started to function. Saint Paul, which is one of the major schools in town run by the Catholic Church, has started classes for children from the south of the town,”
At least 22 people have been charged by security personnel for illegal activities, Mayar said.
“They are now waiting to appear before a special court in the coming days. They are people suspected to have stolen things, others are suspected to have broken into houses whose owners have fled during unrest. he said.