By Hou Akot Hou
A 23-year-old man has been arrested in Aweil West after allegedly killing his father during a domestic altercation over the weekend in Mariem-West Payam, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
The incident occurred in Makuac-Chimel Boma, where 60-year-old Deng Yel reportedly quarreled with his wife before their son, identified as Yel Deng Yel, intervened and fatally attacked his father.
Residents said the suspect appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
Police Inspector Atak Wol Kiir of Udhum Police Station confirmed the arrest and described the killing as shocking.
“What happened is that the old man, Deng Yel, had a squabble with his wife over a familiar problem. In the process, his son, identified as Yel Deng Yel, joined the argument and eventually killed his father,” Wol said.
“We have apprehended him, and he is being detained as funeral arrangements for his father are ongoing. It is bewildering for someone to kill the very person who brought him up,” he added.
Wol urged communities to avoid violent confrontations, calling the act “cowardly and inhumane,” and appealed to the public to seek lawful channels for resolving disputes.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Aweil Town, police reported that a 25-year-old man was found dead by suicide after hanging himself in Ayuang residential area earlier this week.
State police spokesperson Madut Ngong Aleu said investigations are underway to determine the circumstances that led to the young man’s death.
“Investigations are being carried out to establish the motives that pushed the young man to take his own life,” Aleu said.
Community leaders say rising cases of violence, suicide, and family disputes are worsening due to economic hardship, unemployment and frustrations among the youth.
They argue that the situation underscores the need for the government to create more opportunities and support systems for young people, though political instability continues to challenge such efforts.