Wau (South Sudan)

Wau is the third largest city in South Sudan and capital of the Bahr el Ghazal region.

Understand
Founded in the 19th centuary by slavetraders as a zariba, a small fortified base, it grew into an administrative centre during British rule. The city is not dominated by a single ethic group; instead, its position as a commercial hub has drawn many different peoples from around the country. Over the last two decades, Wau has nearly doubled in size, from 84,000 in 1993 to 151,000 today.

Temperatures stay in the mid-30s °C during most of the year. The dry season lasts from November to March, while the summer months see an increase in rainfall.

By train
Wau is also the terminus of the narrow-gauge railway from Khartoum, however due to the independence of South Sudan, all trains have stopped running and there are no news on when they will resume.

By car
Several roads intersect here, A43 connects with Juba and Rumbek while A44 runs southwest towards Tumbura near the border with Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo. B41 heads northwest towards Raga and ends in Nyala. Notice that all roads are in poor condition and can sometimes be nothing more than a dirt track. Driving with regular cars is very unadvisable.

See
Wau has few attractions to see, wild hippos in the Jur river is however quite a sight and can be seen at times.



Sleep
Hotels are generally expensive and often aimed at government officials and members of NGOs.



Stay safe
See the warning on the South Sudan article for information on the security situation.