Wau-Waria Member of Parliament Marsh Narewec has condemned the recent attack on a Chinese developer at Kilolo Bridge, Wau, which resulted in the death of a Chinese national and the destruction of two excavators.
The incident occurred on a mining site under separate legal jurisdiction, with the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) responsible for oversight.
Narewec called for the MRA to conduct an immediate investigation and assessment of the situation.
He also urged the Minister of Police to deploy an independent police investigation team to Wau to ensure a fair investigation for all parties involved, including the leaseholder, developer, and tributors.
“This is not a new issue; it has been ongoing for over 30 years.”
The incident is linked to Mining Lease ML460, where tensions escalated despite previous efforts to resolve disputes.
Narewec highlighted that a round table discussion was held several weeks ago at Crossroads Hotel, involving the conflicting parties and the MRA.
The meeting produced the following resolutions:
1. The BDC and developer were to halt mining activities.
2. BDC was to supply documents to the MRA.
3. ML482 tributors were to supply documents to the MRA.
4. The MRA was to make a decision on ML460.
While the MRA granted a mining license to BDC, which was reflected in the updated mining portal, resolutions 1, 2, and 3 were not executed.
The matter involving ML482 has since been taken to court.
Narewec expressed regret that some individuals took the law into their own hands, leading to the tragic incident.
He appealed for calm and restraint from all parties, urging them to allow the legal process to proceed.