Wau Residents Demonstrate Over Border Demarcation in Sudan

Thousands of residents in the Western Bahr el Ghazal State capital Wau last week held a demonstration calling for the demarcation of the disputed areas of Kafia Genje and Hofra el- Nehas.

The community from Raga County together with the Kafia Genje and Hofra el- Nehas communities converged at the Wau Salam stadium before proceeding to the state head office.

They called upon the Government of Sudan and the Government of Southern Sudan to urgently address the issue before the January referendum.

They said claims that the two areas belonged to Southern Darfur were misplaced and said that the two areas lie in the North Western part Western Bahr el Ghazal State.

They said Kafia Genje was the major center in what was previously called Western District of Bahr el Ghazal province and had its headquarters alternating between Deim Zubeir (Ujuku) and Raga between 1912 and 1923.

They demanded that the two areas be subjected to a referendum just like Abyei so as to determine their geographical location.

The State Council of Ministers has also strongly condemned claims that the two areas are part of Southern Darfur.

The Raga County Commissioner Rizik Dominic told the protestors that the two areas do not belong to South Darfur and added that the issue was a diplomatic one that needed an immediate solution.

“We will not give up our rights of belonging to Western Bahr el Ghazal State for South Darfur that is actually 100 miles away from Kafia Genje”, he said.

He joined the residents in appealing for the immediate withdrawal of SAF forces from the two areas.

Dominic also said the county’s roads are in dire need of rehabilitation in order to improve service delivery to the residents.

“We are today putting forward our message to the Government of Southern Sudan to negotiate with the United Nations and international agencies to implement the deployment of UN troops in the area before the upcoming referendum”, he said.