A man only identified as Benson was shot and injured in the leg by a prison officer for riding a bike while the South Sudanese flag was being lowered in Mundri West County of Western Equatoria State.
Speaking to the media, the Mundri West County police criminal investigations officer, Lt. Doubleseven De Clement, said the victim was stopped several times but did not heed before he was shot by a prison officer in the leg. He added that the injured man was taken to Lui Hospital for treatment.
“Yesterday (Monday) at 6 pm someone was riding while the national flag was being lowered. One guy named Benson could not stop so one of the prison officers shot him in the leg but now the person has been taken to Lui Hospital. We are waiting for him, if he gets well the investigation will start and we shall establish if the person is deaf or what happened,” Lt. Clement said.
He called on citizens to respect the national flag and adhere to the rules and regulations of the symbol of the country.
“My message to the citizens all over South Sudan is that people should respect the rules and regulations of the country’s national flag. When they are lowering the flag no one should move, even animals, that is how it is in the law,” Lt. Clement added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Solvia Caumm, the Coordinator of Lui Hospital, said they have received the patient and he is undergoing treatment.
“We received the patient yesterday (Monday) evening with a gunshot wound in his leg but he is okay. Fortunately, there are no fractures. It is just a wound. He will improve in a few weeks because the bone is not broken and he will manage,” Dr. Caumm said.
Nine years ago in May 2014, a female Kenyan teacher, 25-year-old Tabitha Musangi was shot dead at the John Garang Mausoleum in Juba because the driver of the vehicle in which she was riding continued to driving when the flag was being lowered.