The civil society organization, Community Empowerment for Progress (CEPO), has said it is deeply concerned about the increase in murder cases related to domestic violence in Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
Since Friday last week, five people have been reportedly killed in domestic violence cases in Wau town, Jur River, and Raja counties.
On Friday, a 60-year-old woman killed her husband in Raja town while in Jur River County, a 35-year-old man identified as Kak Nyipatha Akuar killed his wife, Atong Akot, 26, in Atido village.
On Saturday, a policeman named Pasquale Omol Akech murdered his 22-year-old wife identified as Angango Anjelo Taban Biajo in Bhar yar residential areas in Wau town. On the same day, another policeman identified as Juma Musa, 30, committed suicide at the UN protection of civilians site in Wau town after quarreling with his wife.
While Wednesday, a veterinary doctor, Paul Andrea Ujang, shot his wife, Jacklin Justin Baggari, 42, dead in the Lokoloko residential area of Wau town.
Reacting on the matter, Stephen Robo Musa, CEPO’s state coordinator based in Wau, said they are deeply concerned about the rising murder cases occasioned by domestic violence and attributed it to stress related to economic challenges.
“It is a result of stress due to economic challenges people are facing. People have limited incomes and the demands are high,” Robo explained. “The price of goods in the market is so high and people are unable to address these challenges.”
“People have problems and they are unable to sit and discuss them and when they pile up they get angry, resort to use of violence, and kill their partners,” he added.
Robo explained that the government’s delay in implementing the peace agreement and low salaries contribute to the challenges people are facing.
“Government needs to speed the process of the implementation of the peace agreement. It will create stability and also improve salaries and sources of income,” he said.
For his part, the state’s acting police commissioner, Major General James Simon Yisa, confirmed the increase in the murder cases and said some of the culprits have been apprehended.
“In the last two weeks, we had a number of killings. The first killing was in Atido where a man killed his wife in a case of domestic violence and as we arrested the man and a case has been opened,” Gen. Yisa said. “My message to our civilians is that they should not take the law into their hands. Let them follow the law, they should open cases.”
Meanwhile, the state minister of gender, child, and social welfare, Christina Gabriel Ali, condemned the use of violence and called on the families to always solve differences amicably.
“Such incidents are very bad and should not happen within our community. If there is a problem, people should sit down and discuss it and if they fail to agree, let them settle for divorce,” Minister Ali said. “Like what happened in Bhar yar, a young woman was killed and she left behind a small child. Why do they not think of who will look after the children.”