A police man rescued after attempting to commit suicide in Juba
By James Gatdet Dak
December 3, 2008 (JUBA) – A thirty-five year old police man, dressed in uniform and identified by his third name, Athiang, attempted to commit suicide in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Juba, making it the fourth similar public suicide attempt since year 2007.
Athiang climbed up high a 60-meter Southern Sudan Radio transmitter tower at about 5:00AM and stayed up high for more than four hours until he was rescued at around 9:30AM.
Speaking in Dinka language in his first encounter with a junior government official, Athiang said he had been robbed off his five children by his in-laws on charges that he had never paid a bride price because he could not afford to pay.
He told the official that the situation left him with no option but to kill himself.
Athiang also appealed for financial support to settle the bride price in order to compromise his decision to kill himself.
The attempting suicider was finally convinced to climb down the tower by security officers and was arrested for further interrogation.
A lawsuit under Section 215 which deals with attempted suicide was expected to be opened against him.
Athiang is the fourth man to publicly attempt suicide on the same tower situated near the main street which is about 400 meters from the Government of Southern Sudan’s headquarters.
A number of cars also involved in minor accidents as a result of drivers approaching the tower and trying to look up to see the attempting suicider while they were driving.
The first similar suicide attempt in Juba occurred in the year 2007 on an Easter Holiday when a man known by his second name, Ayii, from Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, climbed up to the top of another very tall transmitter tower of the same Southern Sudan Radio, threatening to kill himself before he was rescued by a senior government official.
Ayii, who was also in his thirtieth, dressed smartly in suits and looked healthy, explained in a letter he dropped that he decided to end his life after a lot of suffering he endured and several failed attempts to find a job in Juba.
This latest suicide attempt by Athiang angered residents in Juba who gathered at the scene, with some of them shouting at him “shame on you” after he safely climbed down the tower.
Residents also expressed the need to fence the Southern Sudan Radio transmitter towers by the concerned authorities to prevent any further access to the site by any future similar suicide attempters.
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
A police man rescued after attempting to commit suicide in Juba
You will all die for money, shame i heard about this yester on radio mariya FM, but i can’t believe its, however now i have come to realised that all junglese will die because of their big hearts. fooling after POUNDs, leaders like ordinary. Useless to see people missing the uniform of Goss on such behaviour, if me i would agree that this stupid dinka man should face a jail for 18-24 years, because this is crazy to see people in a uniform intending to commit suicide, please go and kill yourselves in your free zones where no LAWs and ORDERS, people are lving like wild creature because killing a common thing in your villages.
Joseph
A police man rescued after attempting to commit suicide in Juba
Mr Athiang shame on you, you are giving shames to Dinka because this is not the first Dinka man. your reason is not reasonable it happen every where and people are not committing suicide Remember, God said do not kill, this include you.
The Government should control that place because the same thing will happen again.
Freedom Fighter
A police man rescued after attempting to commit suicide in Juba
This is big shame on ever face of a Dinka person, but are they real Dinkas or the fake ones. If they are real Dinkas then why this shift in the Dinka culture and who is to be blame for it. Dinka; the man of men, who are known of strenght and love for sacrifices never act in such away as reported. The characters of these two individuals are absolutely strenge and do not resemble one of those Dinkas who fought with empty stomach and defeated Albashir in Jiko, Kurmuk and Maridi. These coward individuals there characters are very far from being closer to one of those Dinkas who fought without food or water and defeated Jallaba in Torit, Yei, and in many other battle fronts across the South. Shame on these two fake Dinkas.