By Kei Emmanuel Duku
A desperate act of a man who jumped from an unfinished two-story building in Juba’s Suk Sita neighborhoods on Saturday has cast a harsh spotlight on what a leading civil society figure calls “an alarming rise in suicides” across the country.
The tragedy is the most visible face of a disturbing trend. According to Edmond Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment and Progress Organization (CEPO), Police in Juba have registered a shocking nine suicide cases in the past week alone.
Yakani attributes the rise to the severe economic woes and deep-seated trauma from years of conflict. With many in Juba facing unemployment and the soaring cost of living, a sense of hopelessness is taking a heavy toll on people’s mental health.
Yakani warned that the police figure likely represents only a fraction of the true crisis.
“These are only reported cases. We are aware that there are so many suicide cases that are not reported to the police, or the police are not aware of. We are aware suicide cases are on the rise,” Yakani stated.
While a man who jumped from the building in Suk Sita did not state his reasons, CEPO’s Director attributed such actions to pressing economic situation, where many citizens can no longer afford basic necessities.
He added that the man likely felt his livelihood was completely threatened, leaving him to believe suicide was the only option rather than struggling to earn a living.
The CEPO Director warned that citizens resorting to actions like hanging themselves or jumping from buildings should serve as a stark warning to the country’s politicians.
He argued that their discontented positions and the ongoing conflict have created a harsh economic atmosphere, with political instability directly leading to economic pressure.
“The current economic pressing situation is raising cases of depression, stress, and trauma. And that’s why now we are witnessing suicide on the rise across the country,” he added.
Yakani cautioned that if these underlying issues are not addressed, individuals might resort to robbing or targeting others as a way of expressing their depression, stress, and trauma, rather than committing suicide.
He further appealed to the country’s leadership to end the current conflict and embrace peace through dialogue.
This, he believes, would allow all warring factions to address their dissatisfactions, which have plunged the country into its current economic crisis, causing citizens to pay a painful price through suicides.
“Imagine a fellow citizen being watched falling from a tall building to the ground, dead, in front of people in middle of a market. This is very disturbing,” stated Yakani. “That’s why we need a quick leadership decision that contributes to creating an environment that improves the economic situation, which will lead to a reduction in depression, stress, and trauma cases.”
The activist emphasized that South Sudanese cannot afford to suffer anymore, and embracing dialogue would automatically improve the economic situation for many citizens currently struggling across the country.
He lamented that while ordinary citizens are dying by suicide or being killed in battlefields, the children of the elite remain unaffected by the conflict.
“Those of you who have created this environment, your children, your loved ones, your family members are not paying this price. It is the citizens who are not linked to you, who are not family members, who are not relatives to you, paying the price. We are appealing to the leaders to take responsibility for embracing dialogue,” he concluded.
Organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and HealthNet TPO continue to emphasize the severe and largely “overlooked” mental health crisis in South Sudan.
For example, MSF reported providing over 9,600 mental health consultations and facilitating group discussions for 54,000 people between January and July 2024, underscoring the vast need for mental health support.