( CNN ) -- A town engulfed by fighting in South Sudan remained tense Thursday as peacekeepers and police deployed patrols and `` a significant number '' of people who had fled to safety stayed at a U.N. base , officials said . The discord erupted in Wau , the capital of Western Bahr el-Ghazal state in the newly independent country . The violence reflects the growing pains of the new nation , which became independent from Sudan last year . The unrest started last week after a decision to switch the seat of the local government headquarters from Wau to nearby Bagarre stirred anger , government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin told reporters in the national capital , Juba , on Thursday . Security forces killed 10 people amid rioting . Demonstrators attacked a bank and others businesses Saturday and Sunday , he said . Relatives of those killed abducted 28 farmers thought to be aligned with the state government , Benjamin said . The discovery of the bodies of six of the farmers spurred more violence Wednesday . There was no official word on the number of people killed Wednesday . It is believed at least two people died in the violence , but some news outlets reported higher tolls . Peacekeepers with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan saw fires and a few hundred young people carrying sticks , spears and machetes , U.N. officials said . The mission deployed peacekeepers and armored personnel carriers to secure Wau 's airport and patrol in and around the city . About 5,000 people , mostly women and children , escaped the fighting and sought protection at a local base of the U.N. mission in Wau , officials said . `` Earlier today , many of those who sought U.N. protection and stayed overnight left the base to inspect their homes -- a significant number of civilians , mainly women , children and the elderly , remain in the U.N. base and continue to be protected , '' said U.N. spokesman Eduardo Del Buey at U.N. headquarters in New York . `` The U.N. mission continues to safeguard the airport and has conducted patrols to assess the situation in the city and affected outlying settlements , '' Del Buey told journalists . `` The mission is also redeploying additional peacekeepers to Wau in order to assist in the protection of civilians . '' Del Buey said the U.N. Mission in South Sudan is urging authorities and community leaders to `` exercise restraint and engage in peaceful dialogue in order to prevent a further deterioration of the fragile situation . '' Peacekeepers are working closely with South Sudan -- which has sent more police to Wau and is investigating the violence , officials said . South Sudan is the world 's newest country . It became independent six years after the signing of a peace deal that ended the war between northern and southern Sudan . Journalist Jared Ferrie and CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .
A decision to close a local government office sparked anger . Several thousands fled to safety at a U.N. base . South Korea is the region 's newest country .