Suicide in Abyei on the increase

Police in Abyei say they are dealing with an increase in the number of people committing suicide in Abyei. Officers in Agok have reported 11 cases so far this year, the local radio station Abyei Today reports. Suicide and attempted suicide are criminal offences in Abyei.

A woman is awaiting trial in Agok after police rescued her from a suicide attempt. However, her husband – who had beaten her – will not face prosecution. The program spoke to Achan Kur, from Juol-jok, who has a sister who tried to kill herself. She said her sister had many problems in her relationship leading up her suicide attempt. She ended up getting divorced, and going to live in Khartoum.

The legal advisor in the Ministry of Justice in Juba, Kuot Maluil, said suicide and attempted suicide were treated as crimes in order to try to prevent people killing themselves. It was also a criminal offence to help someone take their own life. Incitement to commit suicide was punished by up to 10 years in prison, or a life sentence if the person who died was considered ‘insane’ under the law.

The speaker of the Abyei Council for Peace and Human Rights, Nyinkuany Aguer Bol, said punishing a person who had attempted suicide was a violation of their human rights. It said the proper way to treat such a person was to provide psychological help and counseling until they were no longer at risk of ending their own life, she explained to Abyei Today a radio program from Internews.