Food Prices Very High In WBGS

15 February 2011 – (Wau) – Prices of food items have gone up in Western Bahr El Ghazal state since December last year as the region awaited the self determination referendum.

The commissioner of Raja county Rizik Dominic told SRS from Wau that the situation was aggravated by northern traders who abandoned their businesses fearing insecurity during the referendum.

[Rizik Dominic]: “It’s true the prices are high because most of the traders in the market are from the north. When referendum was near most of them ran away thinking they will be attacked or something would happen. So they closed their shops and you know that many of our people are not businessmen. Secondly, the prices in Khartoum have gone up. If anyone brings goods from Khartoum the prices go up. The prices of basic foods like flour and sugar has gone up. But as a government we are working to see that the situation is reversed.”

Dominic further said that the security situation is stable as the government has deployed JIU units at the border areas and introduced security convoys to escort vehicles traveling to and from the area.