AWEIL – A 70-year-old man was found dead in an apparent suicide at a farm in the border town of Majok-Yith-Thiou near Sudan, authorities in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State said.
The deceased, identified as Dhel Aguer Kuc, had reportedly travelled to the area for casual labour work on a relative’s farm.
According to residents of Riang-Apor Boma in Majok-Yith-Thiou Municipal Council, Kuc’s body was discovered hanging from a tree early Monday morning as villagers headed to their farms for daily activities.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, police investigator John Luil Akot described the incident as shocking and said investigations are still ongoing.
“The victim, identified as Dhel Aguer Kuc, was found hanging in a forested area where farmland was being cleared ahead of planting season,” Akot said. “He had been hired to work there, and no one was near the place where he was stationed.”
Akot explained that Kuc had been sent to work on behalf of another man, identified as Kuol Bol, who had provided him with food supplies for the farming assignment.
“Early in the morning, a woman spotted him hanging from a tree and alerted the villagers,” he added.
However, investigators say the circumstances surrounding the death have raised suspicions.
Akot said police officers who visited the scene noticed signs suggesting the deceased may have struggled before his death.
“There is something unusual about this case,” he said. “The material used for the hanging was not a strong rope. It appeared he had used green shrubs or small tree branches twisted together, which normally may not be strong enough to cause death.”
He added that footprints found near the scene indicated there may have been a struggle, leaving investigators uncertain about the exact cause of death.
Police also questioned Mayen Deng, the owner of the house where the deceased had reportedly been staying before his death. According to Akot, Deng told investigators that Kuc had not quarrelled with anyone before leaving for the farm in the early hours of the morning.
Authorities further said the deceased, who was a visitor in Riang-Apor village, was eventually buried at the home of another relative after the owner of the compound where he had been staying declined to allow the burial there.
Akot said Criminal Investigation Department officers are continuing to work with local chiefs in Majok-Yith-Thiou to establish the circumstances surrounding the death. Family members, including the deceased’s brother and uncle from Madhol Payam in Aweil East County, have since arrived in the area to follow up on the investigation.
The incident comes amid growing concern over rising cases of suicide and unexplained deaths in parts of the region. Analysts often link such incidents to worsening economic hardship, unemployment, and social pressures.
Mental health experts have also urged families and communities to openly address emotional and psychological distress, warning that untreated trauma and stress can increase the risk of suicide.
