Man kills uncle over wife inheritance in Twic County

A 50-year-old man was shot and killed by his nephew during a wife inheritance dispute over the weekend in Twic County’s Ajak Kuac Payam in Warrap State, the police said.

A 50-year-old man was shot and killed by his nephew during a wife inheritance dispute over the weekend in Twic County’s Ajak Kuac Payam in Warrap State, the police said.

Mapoch Maper, 30, killed his paternal uncle, Bol Majok, 50, after the latter stood in to inherit the wife of the former’s deceased father.

In many South Sudanese cultures, when a patriarch dies, his brothers, close male relations and older sons are culturally mandated to marry or inherit the deceased’s young wives. 

Brig. Marko Mawien, the inspector of police in Twic County, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that the killer has been apprehended and that the situation was calm.

The incident indeed happened and the case was brought to my office. A young man killed his uncle over wife inheritance on Sunday. In Dinka culture, if your father dies and another man takes his wife, as a son of the deceased, you have a right to inherit her when you grow up,” he explained. “That is why Bol Majok was killed by his nephew Maboch. It happened on Sunday and the suspect was apprehended and police investigations are ongoing. The security situation is calm where the incident happened in Ajak kuach Payam.”

“The matter involved family members and we urge them to let the government take measures to resolve it,” Mawien added.

Meanwhile, Mangok Kom, the acting commissioner in Twic County, confirmed the incident and attributed it to “a traditional dispute.”

“The security situation is fine only that one person was shot dead in his hut at night by his nephew after they had a traditional dispute but the suspect was apprehended without resistance,” he said.