A 39-year-old widow and mother of six died by suicide on the outskirts of Torit Town of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State.
The deceased, the mother of six boys, identified as Imelda Louis Mokiri popularly known as Maraju disappeared for a day before her body was found hanging from a tree on Friday.
According to officials and family, Majaru developed a mental illness in 2018 months after her husband was killed along the Torit-Kapoeta road.
Mustafa Albino Zakaria, the mayor of Torit Municipal Council told Radio Tamazuj that: “The cause might be because she has a mental problem that might be the cause why she committed suicide.”
Joseph Oswaha Aye, a relative of the deceased, said they are saddened by the untimely death of Majaru.
“After the death of her husband she developed a mental disorder and it’s now about three or four years. I was surprised this morning that she hanged herself. Nobody fights her, maybe it is this sickness that has forced her to think and decide to hang herself,” he said.
“She is a very good woman who had no problem with anybody. She leaves behind six children all boys and we are left speechless because it pains us, even if she is mad her presence in the midst of her children is very important and now she has left the children, the life of these children will not be easy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Attari Jacob Albano, the Commissioner of Torit County sent his condolences to the bereaved family and called on the state to protect persons with mental disorders. He further called on families with persons with mental illnesses to protect them at all times.
“Such people would have been protected by the government. If someone suffers like that, the government would have some resources allocated for them and build a place where they can access counseling services. I also want to advise the relatives to take care of relatives suffering from mental illnesses by monitoring their movements. Sadly, she hung herself,” Commissioner Jacob lamented.