Police authorities in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s Aweil East County have confirmed that a South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) soldier, Mahmud Juma, yesterday shot and killed a pregnant woman at a military base in Manyiel Payam.

Mahmud Juma also shot and injured a military policeman, Akoon Tong Mel, who was part of a team of soldiers who had gone to arrest the former. The soldier is now on the run and the army has now deployed to hunt him down. 

Lt. Colonel Deng Chier, Aweil East County Police commissioner explains the circumstances surrounding the murder.

“What happened yesterday was that a soldier called Mahmud Juma was having some issue with his wife who opened a case against him at the barracks and when Mahmud was going to the barracks, he met his wife on the way and told her to go back home and when they got home they started fighting,” Chier said. “They fought and the wife ran to neighbors’ house and military police were sent to arrest him but he started shooting at them and he shot one soldier named Akoon Tong Mel.”

According to the police, the military police withdrew after their colleague was shot and injured. The suspect then tried to kill his wife but a neighborhood woman, Awein Bol, intervened in an attempt to break up the fight but was shot by the now enraged Mahmud in the chest and she died on the spot.

“After he shot Akoon, the soldiers went back and when the deceased woman heard the information, she came and wanted to rescue the housewife but was unfortunately shot dead,” he said.

The Aweil East County Executive Director, Abraham Wiik Awan, also confirmed the murder and said the accused escaped with his gun, and his whereabouts are not known up to now.