A man identified as Paul Lauro Lawrence, 34, took his own life by hanging on Sunday in Wau town, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
According to a family member, Arkangelo Duku, the deceased had developed depression about two years ago, and would at times talk to himself but had no problem with anyone.
“At 10 am on Sunday 3 September, our brother called Paul Lauro Lawrence hanged himself in the Bazia Jedid area,” he said, “He was good but developed mental problems in the last 2 to 3 years and sometimes he could keep running about and also talk alone.”
According to Duku, the deceased suffered a bout of depression on Saturday night but woke up well on Sunday morning.
“On Sunday morning he woke fine, had breakfast, and even chatted with people. He later went back into the house,” he narrated. “When his mother who was in the compound started looking for him, the door was locked and through a window they saw the body of the deceased, Lauro, hanging from a cloth. We believe he committed suicide because of depression.”
“He was 34 years old and is survived by a wife and three children,” Duku added.
He said they reported the matter to the police and obtained a death certificate from the hospital after a postmortem.
However, efforts to reach the police in Wau for comment were not successful.
The town has 2022 witnessed 5 cases of suicide which have been documented and most of them are by men.
In February this year, a 28-year-old policeman, Arop Peter Kuol, took his life by hanging in the Hai Jebel area in Wau town.
In May 2022, a 40-year-old man identified as David Martin Dut also committed suicide by hanging in Wau’s Jebel Kheer residential area.
In October 2022, an 18-year-old boy also took his life after he was accused of defilement in the Hai Jebel suburb in Wau town.