Wau Municipality authorities demolished more than 500 shops on Thursday in eastern bank market.
Mel Aleu Goch, Wau Town Mayor says the demolition was to reclaim plots of individuals grabbed by some people, Radio Voice of Hope reports.
He says the grabbers were given two months and some additional days to relocate to a new area, but some of them refused.
Mayor Goch argues that no one will claim for any compensation in case of losses incurred.
Khadijah Mohammed Adam who owns a restaurant says time was not enough for them to transfer their property to the new location.
She laments that families residing in the market are poor and have nowhere to live.