Violent Turn at a Neighborhood Birthday
A cheerful birthday gathering in Salam, a suburb of Wau, ended in bloodshed on Thursday night, according to Western Bahr el Ghazal police. Witnesses recall music fading into panic as an armed group arrived around 9:30 p.m.
Armed Gang From Khamsin Implicated
Major Santino Udol Mayen said the intruders came from nearby Khamsin and clashed with local youth. Stones were thrown and improvised weapons brandished before officers could intervene, he told Eye Radio.
Casualties and Medical Updates
Twenty-two-year-old Moatasem Mohamed Adam died at the scene. Hospital staff treat 19-year-old Musa Saber, who lost teeth during the melee, and 17-year-old Madeline Gaetano, recovering from a head wound.
Swift Police Operation
Investigators detained six suspects within forty-eight hours, Major Udol confirmed. ‘Law enforcement remains committed to peace and order,’ he said, promising impartial justice and zero tolerance for gangs.
Community Urged to Stay Calm
Police appealed to relatives of the deceased to let the courts work. Civil society leaders similarly called for restraint, warning that reprisal would only entrench the cycle of violence.
Youth Gangs and Urban Security in Wau
Observers note that informal groups, locally dubbed ‘gang stars’, emerge in densely populated quarters where jobs and recreation are scarce. Authorities plan joint patrols and youth engagement programs to address root causes, officials added.